questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sing and dance"
},
"options": [
"herd sheep",
"play video games with joysticks",
"sing and dance",
"bow and stand"
],
"question": "Pigs can play all the tricks, except _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questi... | We've all heard the story of Three Little Pigs. The third pig foiled the hyperventilating wolf by building his house out of bricks, rather than with straw or sticks as his brothers had done. Less commonly known is that the pig later improved his home's safety profile by installing convex security mirrors at key points along the driveway.
Well, why not? In the current issue of Animal Behaviour, researchers present evidence that domestic pigs can quickly learn how mirrors work and will use their understanding of reflected images to scope out their surroundings and find their food. The researchers cannot yet say whether the animals realize that the eyes in the mirror are their own, or whether pigs might rank with apes, dolphins and other species that have passed the famed "mirror self-recognition test" thought to be a marker of self-awareness and advanced intelligence.
The finding is just one in a series of recent discoveries from the nascent study of pig cognition . Other researchers have found that pigs are brilliant at remembering where food stores are cached and how big each stash is to the rest. They've shown that Pig A can almost instantly learn to follow Pig B when the second pig shows signs of knowing where good food is stored, and that Pig B will try to deceive the pursuing pig and throw it off the trail so that Pig B can hog its food in peace.
They've found that pigs are among the quickest of animals to learn a new routine, and pigs can do circus worth of tricks: jump hoops, bow and stand, spin and make word like sounds on command, roll out rugs, herd sheep, close and open cages, play videogames with joysticks, and more. For better or worse, pigs are also slow to forget. "They can learn something on the first try, but then it's difficult for them to unlearn it," said Suzanne Held of the University of Bristol. "They may get scared once and then have trouble getting over it." | high20420.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "do fantastic things during their sleep"
},
"options": [
"do fantastic things during their sleep",
"walk through windows",
"climb on roofs",
"walk in a half-awake state"
],
"question": "Generally speaking, sleepw... | There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers . People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Massachusetts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three-quarters of a mile to the Lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty-five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, "Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers ."
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes look quite fantastic . Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded. | high5913.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "increase the number of passengers"
},
"options": [
"increase the number of passengers",
"fight against Opec",
"develop the finance of France",
"connect other cities"
],
"question": "France introduced high speed ... | It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of 30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast, efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the "Bullet Train". Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went "on line" in 1964. The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of 132 mph.
The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the "TGV" (Train a Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974, the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands.
There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991, Japan's Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country.
China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic energy into electricity, so that it can ensure its electricity supply even when it is cut off from the power grids. In all, such trains are expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2010. | high16192.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "You can get more free cups of coffee from Starbucks baristas"
},
"options": [
"It can make the bonding between people much closer",
"It can shorten the distance between strangers and make the journey pleasant",
"It makes us f... | In one study, college students who had important and reality-based conversations were more content than their peers who changed mere amusing remarks. But don't deny small talks just yet.
Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is important to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers overheard undergraduates for four days, and then cataloged each overheard conversation as either "small talks" ("What do you have done? Popcorn? Yummy!") or "substantive" ("So did they get divorced soon after?"). They found that the second type correlated with happiness --the happiest students had roughly twice as many substantive talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talks, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of their conversation among the least content students.
But don't deny small talks just yet. Scientists believe that small talks could promote bonding. Researchers found that a small talk maintains closeness with loved ones after studying ring-tailed lemurs' call-and-response conversations, similar to human small talks. Still, joking with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, those bus-takers told to chat with others are reported a more pleasant journey than those told to "enjoy your solitude" or to do whatever they normally would. Small talks can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with, and briefly spoke with their Starbucks baristas reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the transaction.
Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talks into something bigger. All the differences come to what researchers call "a curious mindset".
So go ahead to talk and inquire. Small talks needn't be idle. And being curious about others' business isn't all bad. | high14975.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "she was disappointed in herself"
},
"options": [
"she was disappointed in herself",
"she regretted something he had done",
"she was busy trying to fix a friendship",
"she went to by a gift for her mother"
],
"qu... | It doesn't matter if you have one friend or 20, because there are only a few people in this world that can make you truly happy. For me, my family and my three best girlfriends mean everything to me.
Some days I didn't want to go to school because I felt so disappointed in myself but I don't regret a thing. It makes you stronger as a person, and if you are able to mend your friendships like I have done, then you can do anything.
My mom always told me, "Stephanie, remember that a friend is a gift that you give to yourself. A friend will always be there for the good and the bad. A true friend will never make fun of you. If a friend is a piece of work, then he or she has never been a friend at all. A friend is the biggest gift to you."
Everyone is going to make mistakes but please don't push them away, especially if it's someone you really care about. I know when I make mistake I beat myself up about it. I just wish someone would have reached out a hand to help me back up on my feet like my best friend did. If someone is new or doesn't have a friend, please reach out and befriend them because that small action could mean the world to them. Now that I'm older, I understand what my mom has been trying to tell me, and now I know that the friends that I choose will also be the kinds of friends that I would want to be surrounded by forever. | high1585.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The use of the multi-Touch textbooks"
},
"options": [
"What's the K-12",
"The textbook transformation.",
"The use of the multi-Touch textbooks",
"3D Images"
],
"question": "What may be talked about in the follow... | For hundreds of years, textbooks have put a world of knowledge in the hands of students. Paper textbooks are expensive to produce and expensive for schools to buy. Nowadays information changes so quickly that some textbooks are out of date almost before they're published. And as books are passed along from one student to the next, they get more highlighted, dog-eared, tattered, and worn.
It's no secret that paper textbooks are heavy. But what you may not know is that backpack weight is an increasing problem among kids. Studies show that heavy backpacks can lead to both chronic back pain and poor posture -- and many kids are carrying a quarter of their body weight in textbooks.
Today's students have grown up completely immersed in technology. iPod, iPad, computer -- these are the ways they interact with their world. They need a textbook made for the way they learn. iBooks textbooks on iPad offer a gorgeous, full-screen experience full of interactive diagrams, photos, and videos. No longer limited to static pictures to illustrate the text, now students can dive into an image with interactive captions, rotate a 3D object, or have the answer spring to life in a chapter review. They can flip through a book by simply sliding a finger along the bottom of the screen. Highlighting text, taking notes, searching for content, and finding definitions in the glossary are just as easy. And with all their books on a single iPad, students will have no problem carrying them wherever they go.
McGraw-Hill, Pearson Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt -- the publishers responsible for the majority of K-12 content in the US -- have created Multi-Touch textbooks available now from the iBookstore | high23101.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it is difficult to tell what will happen in the future"
},
"options": [
"human history is extremely long",
"life has changed a great deal",
"it is useless to plan for the next 50 years",
"it is difficult to tell what wi... | Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and Last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilizations, broken up by long 'dark ages' in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2,000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred? The next thousand? The next million? That's much more difficult.
When men and women lived by hunting 50,000 years ago, how could they even begin to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50,000 years from now, we may seem as primitive in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters do to us. Perhaps they will spend their days goallocking to make new spundles, or struggling with their ballalators through the cribe. These words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can't think of.
So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future? Here are two reasons. First, unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with the whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live on, because we are careless or greedy or quarrelsome, our grandchildren will not bother to think of excuses for us.
Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future men may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future. | high18197.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "About 750 days"
},
"options": [
"About five months",
"About two years",
"About 600 days",
"About 750 days"
],
"question": "How long will Patrick Clifford be away before he comes back?",
"question_type": "fac... | September 21, 2050----At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the launching window of June 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in November, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.
Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home. Patrick was of course very excited, " This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible."
To be able to pay the $ 1. 3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake in the company his father had built. "I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me", says Patrick. _ but it is said that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.
So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? "Well, since I don't have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea", he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn't expect too many guests until someone can offer a cheaper ticket. | high3392.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "introduce the new product"
},
"options": [
"report Rikke's daily life",
"prove the value of PC",
"describe modern life",
"introduce the new product"
],
"question": "The writer gives a description of Rikke using ... | When Rikke Dausen in prefix = st1 /Denmarkgoes to get some milk from the fridge, she has trouble getting past the refrigerator door. But it's not because of any physical obstruction. It's usually because the PC monitor in her refrigerator's door has informed her that a new email message has arrived.
Rikke and her husband are taking part in a six-month trial sponsored by a Danish firm and two Swedish partners. They hope to show that computers can be put to much more practical daily use than most people think. Fifty families and singles were provided with a free model known as the "Screenfridge" for the duration of trial.
"It's really very clever", says Rikke. She can call up email, news reports, sales items at the supermarket or addressed out of the endless ocean Internet possibilities. "I'm not the type who wants to sit in front of the computer and wait 10 minutes for the modem to connect," she says.
The creators of the Screenfridge aim at this type of buyer. They think the machine should attract people who have limited time to solve technical problems or surf online.
The PC that is built into the door is very small. It is only two centimeters wide, and completely silent.
"Everything moves quickly", as Rikke admits. "Well, the whole thing is really just an amusement", she says. "But when the thing is gone after the test, it will be pain to have to go down in the basement again to download my email".
The Screenfridge is due to hit the market sometime next year. | high19289.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are suffering from tough economy."
},
"options": [
"The tipping culture has greatly changed.",
"They are not satisfied with the service.",
"They are suffering from tough economy.",
"They don't know how to tip in ot... | It's generally thought to be impolite not to give waiters some money as a tip after getting good services in western countries. However, hard economic times mean tourists are giving fewer tips, according to a survey .
As many as one third of holidaymakers are giving smaller tips or have stopped tipping entirely, the survey by TripAdvisor found. Also, only 46% of British always know what is expected in the way of tips in other countries. The survey of 5,595 travellers, including 1,197 from the UK, showed that 41% of European travellers were tipping less or not at all this year. A total of 63% of European travellers knew how to tip in other countries, with Italians coming first.
The survey also showed that 29% of British tended to give the same amount in tips whatever country they were in. As many as 8% of British said they had had a holiday ruined by a bad tipping experience, while 16% said they they had been once in a situaiton where the waiter complained about the amount of the tip. Also, 12% of British said tipping on holiday made them nervous, while 22% said _ .
TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma Shaw said: "It's been a challenging year for the British economy and Brits are spending very carefully. While the majority are still rewarding good service on holidays with tips, many Brits are giving smaller tips as cost-saving continues to be important." | high21070.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how to make a safe and enjoyable trip"
},
"options": [
"where to travel alone",
"how to make a safe and enjoyable trip",
"what to read on travel",
"how to meet new people when traveling"
],
"question": "The main... | Below are some tips for women traveling alone.
Exercise hotel safety
There are many ways you can make a solo stay at a hotel safer. At cheek-in, you might consider asking for a room near the elevator so you won't need to walk down long, potentially ill-lit hallways to reach your room. When filling out guest registration forms, consider using your first initial instead of your name, and skip the" Mrs/Miss/Mr" check box. Additionally, make sure the clerk writes down your room number instead of saying it out loud. This will prevent anyone nearby from knowing where to find you later.
Arrive during the day
Arrive in new cities during the day. Areas around bus and train stations can be scary and/ojr deserted, and small towns tend to shut down early. Veteran solo traveler Mara Rothman of San Francisco notes that plenty of beautiful towns can appear mysterious at night, and locals who are genuinely trying to help you can appear unnecessarily threatening. Arriving during the day means you'll be able to find a place to stay and get to know where you are before dark.
Keep your documents safe
If you choose to wear a money belt, use it for storage and not as a purse. Constantly reaching under your shirt for money draws attention to it, and tends to defeat the purpose. Instead,keep your passport, extra stores of money, and other important documents well hidden, and use a bag or purse for carrying daily spending money.
Dress appropriately
To avoid attracting unwanted attention, dress as conservatively as the women you see around you. This doesn't necessarily mean wearing the traditional dress, as that can sometimes have the opposite result. A good rule of thumb is to dress modestly. Think knee-length or longer skirts. Bare arms, shoulders, and legs are considered risked in some countries, so do the research before you go and once you're there. Note which body parts the local women cover and do the same.
Know when to make friends
Traveling alone doesn't always mean being alone. There are plenty of situations in which seeking out company can make for a safer and more enjoyable experience. Smaller hotels and hostels are great places to find like- minded travelers to explore new places with. In some countries, there are women-only sections in trains and women's waiting rooms at train stations. Sticking close to families on public transportation and in unfamiliar public markets and bazaars is another technique some women use.
Show confidence to a great extent
Whether you're on a street at home or 7 ,000 miles away, walking confidently and with direction is an effective technique for deterring unwanted attention, since appearing lost or confused can make you weak and easily damaged. If you are lost,walk into a shop or restaurant and ask for directions there. Try to avoid obviously looking at maps while you're in the street. Study your route before you go, or find one of those wallet-sized maps that you can carefully palm and refer to secretly.
Use common sense
Using common sense is perhaps the single best tip for staying safe and having a good time while you,re traveling alone. This category includes the usual recommendations: don't walk around late at night , don't drink with strange men,don't ride in empty compartments on trains, don't compromise safety to save a few bucks on a hotel or transportation, and know how to use a pay phone. | high18829.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "likes doing things regularly and following rules"
},
"options": [
"does everything carefully",
"always walks in a certain way",
"never puts a foot into others' places",
"likes doing things regularly and following rules"... | The Man Who Never Puts a Foot Wrong
Some people do not like anything to be out of place. They are never late for work; they return their books to the library on time; they remember people's birthdays; they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person.
Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark. Mr. Dodds does not visit his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark's seventeen birthdays.
Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the doorstep.
"What have I done wrong?" Mr. Dodds asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?" "Hello, uncle," said the policeman, "my name is Mark." | high16804.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to set up a carbon market"
},
"options": [
"to cut its emissions by 45%",
"to set up a carbon market",
"to have lower emissions than other countries",
"to increase both emissions and production"
],
"question": "... | China needs to set absolute restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions if it is to fulfill its aim to set up a carbon market over the next five years, a cabinet office think tank said in a paper.
"It is only under an absolute emissions cap that carbon emission permits will become a scarce resource and possess the qualities of a commodity," the State Council"s Development and Research Center said in a paper in Seeking Truth, a magazine published by the ruling party.
China has traditionally baulked at the idea of emissions caps either on a regional basis or for industrial sectors, invoking a key Kyoto protocol principle that puts most of the burden of cutting green-house gases on developed countries.
China, the world 's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, has also been under external pressure to make stronger commitments in the battle against global warming .The country has been the biggest beneficiary of the Clean Development Mechanism, a UN-backed scheme that allows industrialized countries to meet their CO2 reduction targets by purchasing certified emission reductions or CERs from low-carbon projects launched in developing nations.
However, the European Union, the biggest buyer of CERs, has said it will not accept CERs generated by Chinese projects once the first phase of its Emissions Trading Scheme ends in 2012, though projects already registered will remain valid. | high5085.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Young blind jazz prodigy rises in Bolivia."
},
"options": [
"Young blind jazz prodigy rises in Bolivia.",
"Jazz chip is found inside the prodigy.",
"To educate a jazz prodigy in successful ways,",
"Bolivia's jazz prodig... | Jose Andre Montano Baina was born and raised in the town of Totora, Bolivia-not exactly the home of jazz.But now he is taking the Bolivian and the world music scene by storm.He has already performed in some of the country's top occasions including the Legislative Palace and alongside famous musicians like Bolivian rocker Glen Vargas-what's so great about that? How about the fact that Jose is just seven years old and, has no vision!
The young musician began to show his extraordinary music talent at the age of four when he started playing the-drums with a high standard of ability and skills, which are usually played by artists three times .his age.After mastering them, he quickly moved on to the piano and by the age of five had formed a jazz band! And, while the young boy knows every jazz song in the book and can play them all with great ease and confidence, it is not the only kind of music he enjoys.This Bolivian prodigy has well-rounded musical taste and isn't limited to jazz.He also loves listening to blues, heavy metal, tango, bolero and anything in between!
His extremely proud father is quick to admit that he has nothing to do with his son's unusual talent.In fact he didn't even know much about jazz until Jose started to play."I didn't know jazz before, he got me into it.It's as if he was born with a jazz chip inside him, 1 don't know how to explain how it came.about; it's like the jazz was already inside him." His father recalled.
As for the young rising superstar, he leads a pretty normal life despite all the fame.Just like the rest of you, he goes to school, does homework and yes, has chores assigned to him as well! | high23667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "administrators often encourage college students to drop out"
},
"options": [
"about half of the high school graduates continue their studies at school",
"college graduates are believed to be able to earn more money",
"adminis... | The case for college has been accepted without question for more than a generation. All high school graduates ought to go, because college will help them earn more money, become "better" people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go.
But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates are attending, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more and more, and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students get in the way of each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the competition for admission to graduate school. Others find no interest in their studies, and drop out -often encouraged by college administrators. Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves--they are spoiled and they are expecting too much.
But that is a condemnation of the students as a whole, and does not explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world, and they are partly right. We've been told that young people have to go to college because our economy cannot take in an army of untrained 18 year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer take in an army of trained 22-year-olds, either.
Some adventuresome educators and campus watchers have openly begun to suggest that college may not be the best, the proper, the only place for every young person after the completion of high school. _ Perhaps college does not make people intelligent(clever), ambitious, happy, liberal, or quick to learn things--maybe it is just the other way round, and intelligent, ambitious, happy, liberal, quick-learning people are only the ones who have been attracted to college in the first place. And perhaps all those successful college graduates would have been successful whether they had gone to college or not. This is heresy to those of us who have been brought up to believe that if little schooling is good, more has to be much better. But opposite evidence is beginning to mount up. | high24108.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "How to dress properly in a business setting."
},
"options": [
"How to dress properly in a business setting.",
"How to choose appropriate attire.",
"Appropriate attire will make a big difference",
"Improper dress will ma... | Being less than perfectly well-dressed in a business setting can result in a feeling of discomfort. And the sad truth is that "clothing mismatches" on the job can ruin the day of the person who is wearing the inappropriateattire --and the people with whom he or she works.
Offices vary when it comes to dress codes. Some businesses have very strict standards for office attire, while others maintain a more relaxed attitude. However, it is always important to remember that no matter what your company's attitude is, you are working in a business environment and you should dress properly. Certain items may be more appropriate for evening wear than for a business meeting, just as shorts and a T-shirt are better suited for the beach than for an office environment. Your attire should reflect both your environment and your position. A senior president has a different image to maintain than that of a secretary. Like it or not, you will be judged by your appearance.
This is never more apparent than on "dress-down days", when what you wear can say more about you than any business suit ever could. In fact, people will pay more attention to what you wear on dress-down days than on "business professional " days. Thus, when dressing in "business casual" clothes, try to put some good taste into your choices, recognize that the "real" definition of business casual is to dress just onenotch down from what you would normally wear on business-professional attire days.
Remember, there are borders between your career and our social life. You should dress one way for play and another way when you mean business. Always ask yourself where you are going and how other people will be dressed when you get there. Is the final destination the opera, the beach, or the office? Dress properly and you will discover the truth in the principle that clothes make the man--and the woman. When you're in doubt, it's safe to be on the side of dressing slightly more traditionally than the situation demands. | high777.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "identify drugs and explosives in places like the airport"
},
"options": [
"replace real dogs to be as pets for people",
"search for and rescue people who are in trouble",
"help people look after patients in the hospital",
... | Dogs are known for a strong sense of smell. Their noses can be trained to identify different smells. Dogs are often used in search and rescue operations and to sniff for things like drugs and explosives. Some dogs have even been trained to sniff for cancer in people.
Researchers have been trying to reproduce the extraordinary sense of smell that real dogs are born with. Now, officials at the Glasgow airport in Scotland are testing a new security device called an "electronic sniffer dog". The electronic sniffer dog represents one of the latest developments in the area of smell technology.
A Scottish company, Cascade Technologies, joined with the French security company Morpho to develop it. The device uses lasers to identify explosive materials in gases in the air. The purpose is to identify explosives that may be hidden on a person's body.
The machine looks similar to the metal detectors now used at airports. Passengers walk through the machine as the lasers test the surrounding air. People are not required to take off their coats, belts or shoes as part of the security process. And, unlike full-body scanners, the new device does not show images of the passengers.
Officials at Cascade Technologies say the machine can process one person per second and produce almost immediate results. They say future development could cut security processing times at airports by screening all passengers at walking speed.
Professor Yushan Yan, the head of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Riverside, points out that unlike real dogs, electronic devices do not get tired or need to be walked or require food and water. Professor Yan says real dogs also have other needs. "They also need very extensive training that could be expensive. And when they work they have to have a very skilled handler around them."
But Professor Yan says there is an important area where man's best friend still wins compared to technology. "In terms of sensitivity and selectivity, the current technology out there is still _ . The real dog has amazing capability of identifying some really minor amount of explosives." | high9867.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she took the legal responsibilities for their previous mistakes"
},
"options": [
"as soon as she learned about the problem, she acted without hesitation",
"she faced facts and apologized sincerely",
"she took the legal respon... | When Mary Barra took the wheel at General Motors in January she inherited a company in good shape. Five years after bankruptcy , its profits were beyond expectations and its share price was rising. But the new boss's to-do list was long: fixing GM's loss-making European arm, keeping up momentum in China amid signs of a slowdown and giving new life to the product line. The former CEO, Dan Akerson, warned her that she would also face unexpected challenges. The first has arrived sooner than she might have expected.
What appeared to be a routine recall of about 800,000 older models, linked to a faulty ignition switch, has turned out to be anything but. The number of cars recalled has leapt to more than 2.6 million. The company's clumsy handling of a safety problem that first became apparent a decade ago is now linked to the deaths of at least 13 motorists.
Called before Congress to answer for GM's failings Ms Barra said she was "deeply sorry" but insisted that the post-bankruptcy "new GM" was not like the "old GM", which had failed to deal with the ignition switches for years. Politicians and the public alike want to know how such a problem could have remained unaddressed for so long.
Cars are becoming ever more complex machines, with thousands of mechanical and electronic parts. Last year it happened to 22 million vehicles in America, compared with 18 million in 2012. In fact, GM was one of only three brands that recalled fewer vehicles than it sold. Minor problems, like squeaks or rattles , that do not affect safety are more common still. They may be fixed at a routine service; the owner may never know. The growing number of recalls is proof to an improving system for picking up faults.
But it is very complicated. Dealers must record replacements of parts under warranty . The carmaker needs to spot the trend, recognize it as a problem and then determine whether or not it is a design fault that requires an extensive replacement. It relies on accurate recording of every warranty replacement in every region. This system appears to have broken down at "old GM". Ms Barra needs to find out why.
The core problem is a widely used ignition switch that has a tendency to slip from the "on" position to "off" if a driver uses a heavy key-chain or bounces down a rough road. An improvement was made in 2008 to prevent the problem, which can lead to the engine shutting off, disabling the airbags. But despite a growing list of crashes and deaths, GM failed to order a recall for a component that would have cost a few dollars at most.
This is odd. Most carmakers want to identify and fix problems speedily despite having to bear the cost of buying and fitting a new component. A small part can do great harm, if bad publicity leads to reputational collapse, lost sales and law suits, including heavy penalties. Appearing to put profits before safety is an invitation to _ a firm's shares, as GM has discovered.
So far Ms Barra has handled the situation well. She seems to have acted as soon as she found out something was wrong. GM has appointed a worldwide safety president to cut through the process that may have delayed investigation and action. And in a sweeping housecleaning, GM has recalled another 2 million vehicles in America alone. GM looks set to accept moral, if not legal, responsibility. The terms of its exit from bankruptcy give immunity to lawsuits for injuries arising beforehand. But GM is likely to compensate survivors' and victims' families anyway.
It is not yet clear how much of a hammering GM will take. But hours before Ms Barra's meeting with Congress, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a greatly desired "Top Safety Pick" for the new Chevrolet Malibu, one of a growing number of well-received cars from GM. | high6598.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To introduce the topic of this passage."
},
"options": [
"To tell us how to communicate with family.",
"To introduce the topic of this passage.",
"To inform us that people often ignore cultural diversity.",
"To show us ... | James lives in Hawaii and his mother lives in Korea. James speaks English (he never learned Korean), and his mom only speaks Korean. They communicate perfectly.
Eric is from Honduras, but he lives in the U.S. Eric just started learning English and speaks very little. But, everyday Eric reads the latest local US news on the Web, with no problem.
What these people (and close to 60 million others around the world) share is a remarkable, free software program called Babylon.
Babylon may well be the most advanced translation software in the world, and it's a must-have for anyone whose life goes beyond the borders of their own language or those who want it to.
Once you download it, you can simply highlight the part in practically any format, and it's instantly translated into the language of your choice. You can use it to translate a website, email, word doc, pdf, and actually any document in any format you can think of.
You can write a document in your native language, and Babylon will instantly translate it into another before you send it.
The program translates 75 languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Indian, and Russian. It also includes up-to-date encyclopedias , dictionaries, and spell checkers.
Babylon is a long way from early translation software that would, more often than not, make an unreadable text with grammar errors that was better suited for making laughs than comprehension. Babylon's ability to understand and translate is perfect. In fact, businesses are adopting Babylon as the standard when it comes to translating commercial communications and other important documents.
Babylon is also a great tool for people who are learning another language. Use it anytime you come across a word or passage you don't understand.
What users enjoy most is the program's ability to open up a different world to them. Whether it's surfing a news site in a different country, or being able to properly communicate with a family member or friend overseas, Babylon can make it happen.
Best of all, Babylon is free! To get your free copy, visit Babylon.com. | high23673.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It is a sign of the inflammation."
},
"options": [
"It relates directly to diabetes.",
"It is a sign of the inflammation.",
"It is a sign of cardiovascular disease.",
"It is a sign of physiological effects caused by bul... | They say that sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Yet childhood bullying really can damage your long-term health. Gone are the days when bullying was considered an unavoidable and finally harmless part of growing up -- just last month we learned that childhood bullying can lead to poorer mental health even into middle age.
Now William Copeland at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and his colleagues have shown that it can have lasting physiological effects too. They tracked 1,420 nine-year-olds right through their teens. Each child was seen up to nine times during the study and asked about bullying. The team then measured levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood. CRP is a marker of inflammation linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and problems like diabetes. "Because we were collecting biological samples throughout, we were able to look at CRP levels in subjects _ their bullying involvement." says Copeland. "This really gives us an idea of the changes bullying brings about."
Although CRP levels naturally rise in everyone during adolescence, levels were highest in children who reported suffering from bullies. Even at the ages of 19 and 21, children who had once been bullied had CRP levels about 1.4 times higher than peers who were neither wrongdoers nor victims. In a cruel twist, the bullies had the lowest levels of all, suggesting they didn't suffer the same health risks. They may even see a benefit from their behavior, though Copeland stresses it doesn't defend their actions. "The goal would instead be to find other ways to produce this protective effect without it being at someone else's expense." he says.
Andrea Danese at King's College London has before shown that ill-treatment during childhood can lead to high levels of inflammation in adult life. "This new study is a helpful addition in showing that these effects extend to another important childhood stressor." he says. He suggests that care workers monitor levels of CRP in children having psychotherapy to see if it is helping to reduce the stress of being bullied. | high9873.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It did not become quite popular until 2008."
},
"options": [
"It aimed to handle the economic crisis.",
"It was started by people without houses.",
"It was well received by house designers.",
"It did not become quite po... | In today's consumer world, we've never had so much, yet it seems we've never been so unsatisfied. The cost of housing has been rising for decades, and the cost to the planet has been huge, too. But there is a way to live a simpler, greener, and more affordable life: buy a TinyDwelling home!
TinyDwelling homes are very small, yet comfortable houses at affordable prices. Each TinyDwelling home has a contemporary design and included a living room, kitchen, bathroom, upstairs sleeping area, and convenient storage space. TinyDwelling homes are cheap to run and ecologically-friendly, too. All you need is a small heater to keep your house warm in cold weather, and solar panels in order to provide light and electricity.
TinyDwelling is part of the small-living movement that began in the late 1990s. Back then, a growing number of people began to live in very small homes. They wanted to reduce their possessions, living space, and energy costs, so as to lead more ecologically-friendly lives. But the small-living movement really took off after the economic crisis of 2008, when many people realized that they couldn't afford to keep large homes.
Lizzy Morriaon, a small-living enthusiast, started TinyDwelling homes in 2008 to meet the needs of these people. Since then, Lizzy has been designing and building homes nonstop, and TinyDwelling homes have become so popular that thousands of people have bought one. And Lizzy hasn't only designing and building houses. She has also been teaching people how to build them. Simply buy the plans and materials so that you can build your own home, and save even more money! | high13968.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how to make an effective advertisement."
},
"options": [
"how a man lost and found his umbrella.",
"how to make an effective advertisement.",
"how to find lost things.",
"how to put an advertisement in the newspaper."
... | A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. "Last week," said he, "my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising ,but didn't get it back "
"How did you write your advertisement ?"asked one of the listeners ,a merchant .
"Here it is," said the man ,taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, "Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening a black silk umbrella .The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No 10 Broad Street ."
"Now ,"said the merchant, "I often advertise ,and find that it pays me well .But by the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance .let us try your umbrella again ,and if it fails ,I will buy you a new one. "
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote :"If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street .He is well known ."
This appeared in the paper ,and on the following morning ,the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter | high7686.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It's important to listen to and read things in order to get used to a foreign language."
},
"options": [
"It's necessary to get explanations in your own language about a foreign language.",
"It's important to listen to and read thi... | Learn a Foreign Language
Spend the time!
The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.
Listen and read every day!
Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand, or even partly understand. If you keep listening and reading you will get used to the language. One hour of listening or reading is more effective than many hours of class time.
Focus on words and phrases!
Build up your vocabulary, you'll need lots. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases. Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere. Gradually you will be able to use them. Do not worry about how accurately you speak until you have _ plenty of words through listening and reading.
Take responsibility for your own learning!
If you do not want to learn the language, you won't. If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest, which you want to listen to and read. Seek out the words and phrases that you need to understand your listening and reading. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do. Discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it. A teacher cannot teach you to become fluent, but you can learn to become fluent if you want to.
Relax and enjoy yourself!
Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter. You are learning and improving. The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, just make sure you spend enough time with the language. That is the greatest guarantee of success. | high21064.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "his life would come to an end"
},
"options": [
"his sons were very hardworking",
"his sons would take the adventure",
"his life would come to an end",
"he couldn't keep the secret"
],
"question": "The farmer tol... | There was once a farmer who had a fine olive orchard. He was very hardworking, and the farm always prospered under his care. But he knew that his three sons despised the farm work, and were eager to make wealth, through adventure.
When the farmer was old, and felt that his time had come to die, he called the three sons to him and said, "My sons, there is a pot of gold hidden in the olive orchard. Dig for it, if you wish it."
The sons tried to get him to tell them in what part of the orchard the gold was hidden, but he would tell them nothing more.
After the farmer was dead, the sons went to work to find the pot of gold. Since they did not know where the hiding-place was, they agreed to begin in a line, at one end of the orchard, and to dig until one of them should find the money.
They dug until they had turned up the soil from one end of the orchard to the other, round the tree-roots and between them. But no pot of gold was to be found. It seemed as if someone must have stolen it, or as if the farmer had been wandering in his wits. The three sons were bitterly disappointed to have all their work for nothing.
The next olive season, the olive trees in the orchard bore more fruit than they had ever given. When it was sold, it gave the sons a whole pot of gold.
And when they saw how much money had come from the orchard, they suddenly understood what the wise father had meant when he said, "There is gold hidden in the orchard. Dig for it, if you wish it." | high16810.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Old Man And The Sea"
},
"options": [
"Treasure Island",
"The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer",
"The Old Man And The Sea",
"The Son Of The Sea"
],
"question": "The above story is adapted from _ .",
"question_... | For eighty four days old Santiago had not caught a single fish. At first a young boy, Manolin, had shared his bad fortune, but after the fortieth luckless day the boy's father told his son to go in another boat. From that time on, Santiago worked alone. The boy loved the old fisherman and always helped him with money and food. Usually, they would talk about the fish they had taken in luckier times or about American baseball after supper, while at night, alone in his cottage, Santiago dreamed of lions on the beaches of Africa, where he had gone years before. _
On the eighty-fifth day, Santiago set off to fish before dawn. Two of his baits were fresh tunas the boy had given him, as well as sardines to cover his hooks. Then he set his lines which went straight down into deep dark water.
As the sun rose he saw other boats in toward shore. A bird showed him where dolphins were chasing some flying fish. This time Santiago saw tuna jumping in the sunlight. A small one took the hook on his line. Pulling the fish aboard, the old man thought it a good fortune.
Toward noon a marlin, a common fish in the sea, started eating the bait which was one hundred meters down. Gently the old man played the fish, a big one, as he knew from the weight on the line. At last he struck to settle the hook. The fish did not come out of the surface. Instead, it began to pull the boat to the northwest. The old man followed it. _
It was cold after the sunset. When something took one of his remaining baits, he cut the line with his knife. Once the marlin leaned suddenly, pulling Santiago forward on his face and cutting his cheek. By dawn his left hand was cramped . The fish had headed northward; there was no land in sight. Hungry, he cut pieces from the tuna and chewed them slowly.
That morning the fish jumped. Seeing it, Santiago knew he had hooked the biggest marlin he had ever seen. Then the fish went down and turned toward the east. Santiago drank a little water from the bottle during the hot afternoon.
Close to nightfall a dolphin took the small hook he had rebaited. He lifted it aboard, careful. After he had rested, he cut meat from the dolphin and kept also the two flying fish he found in its stomach. That night he slept. He awoke to feel the line running through his fingers as the fish jumped. Feeding line slowly, he tried to tire the marlin. After the fish slowed its run, he washed his cut hands in sea water and ate one of the flying fish. At sunrise the marlin began to circle. Faint, he worked to bring the big fish nearer with each turn. _ The fish was two feet longer than the boat. No fish like it had ever been seen in Havana harbor.
An hour later, he sighted the first shark, a fierce Mako, and it came in fast to chase after the dead marlin. The old man struck the shark with his harpoon. The Mako rolled and sank, carrying the harpoon with it and leaving the marlin bloody. He knew the smell would spread. Watching, he saw two sharks closing in. He struck at one with his knife and watched it sliding down into deep water. The other he killed while it tore at the flesh of the marlin. When the third appeared, he thrust it with the knife. The other sharks came at sunset. At first he tried to beat them with the tiller from the boat, but his hands were bleeding and there were too many in the sea. In the darkness, as he steered toward the harbor of Havana, he heard them hitting the boat again and again. But the old man thought only of his steering and his great tiredness. He had gone out too far and the sharks had beaten him. He knew they would leave him nothing but the stripped skeleton of the big marlin.
All lights were out when he sailed into the little harbor and beached his boat. He could just make out the white backbone and the upstanding tail of the fish. _ In his cottage he fell on his bed and went to sleep. | high5091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He didn't have kids about five years old to offer the bike to."
},
"options": [
"He couldn't carry it home.",
"He didn't know where to get the prize.",
"He couldn't find a proper way to keep it.",
"He didn't have kids a... | The Enzian Art House in Florida was showing movies in the park. One evening, a few weeks before Christmas, they showed The Christmas Storyand had a raffle with a girl's bike as the prize. It was attractive with color1ed streamers , flowers' butterflies, a fascinating bell, all designed to delight a five-year-old girl. But I, who was fifty, won it! This led to a bit of a puzzle as 1 didn't have kids or grandchildren to give it to. I wanted the bike to go to someone who didn't have the opportunity to own such a wonderful thing. I contacted the shelter (where I occasionally volunteered in the kitchen) and while there was a big need for a sweet bike, there was also the potential for it to create conflict.
I sought else where until I found out about a couple in our church who had been going through hard times in their marriage because of drugs and alcohol. They walked to our church (they didn't have a car) from a parking lot a mile away and they had a sweet little five-year-old daughter.
On Christmas Eve I went to their parking lot. They had already left on foot to go to the candle lighting service. Their landlord was on the parking lot and when he heard that 1 wanted to leave the bike anonymously he offered to open up their trailer .There I saw a lone tree, so I put the bike behind it.
It was a great moment for me and, I hope, a little bit of Christmas magic for the family and that little girl. | high18183.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "tell students the differences between colleges and universities"
},
"options": [
"persuade students to go to college instead of schools",
"tell students the differences between colleges and universities",
"help students make ... | What is the difference between a college and a university? This is a good question for students who want to attend a college or a university in the United States.
Colleges and universities have many things in common. Both provide a greater understanding of the world and its past. Both provide education in the arts and sciences. And both can help prepare young people to earn a living.
Students who complete their undergraduate studies either at a four-year college or a university receive a bachelor's degree. One difference is that many colleges do not offer graduate studies.
Universities are generally bigger, offer more programs and do more research. Modern universities developed from those of the Middle Ages in Europe. The word "university" comes from the Latin "universitas". This described a group of people organized for a common purpose. The word "college" comes from a Latin word with a similar meaning, "collegium". In England, colleges were formed to provide students with places to live in. Usually each group of students was studying the same thing. So college came to mean an area of study. But a college can also be a part of a university. The first American universities divided their studies into a number of areas and called each one a college. This is still true.
Programs in higher learning may also be called schools. The University of Arizona in Tucson, for example, has 18 colleges and 10 schools. They include the colleges of pharmacy , education, engineering and law. They also include the schools of architecture, dance and public administration.
College is also used as a general term for higher education. A news report might talk about "college students" even if they include students at universities. Or someone might ask, "Where do you go to college?"
Today, most American colleges offer an area of study called liberal arts. These are subjects first developed and taught in ancient Greece. They include language, philosophy and mathematics. The purpose is to train a person's mind instead of teaching job skills. | high2098.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Power of Saying hello"
},
"options": [
"The Power of Being Talkative",
"My Mother's Influence on Me",
"The Power of Saying hello",
"My Way to Become Vice-President"
],
"question": "What is the best title for... | When I was about 10 one day, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I knew I could see Mr. Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable, "You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street." That sentence sounds simple but it made me become who I am.
At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the cafe and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no matter how humble they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.
I've become vice-president, but that hasn't changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too.
The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello. | high3386.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "very huge"
},
"options": [
"grown in France",
"sold everywhere",
"very huge",
"quite sweet"
],
"question": "It can be learned from the text that Delicious apples are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | For thousands of years, man has enjoyed the taste of apples. Apples, which are about 85 percent water, grow almost everywhere in the world but the hottest and coldest areas.Among the leading countries in apple production are China, France and the United States.
There are various kinds of apples but a very few make up the majority of those grown for sale.The three most common kinds grown in the United States are Delicious, golden Delicious and McIntosh.
Apples are different in color1, size and taste.The color1 of the skin may be red, green or yellow.They have various sizes with Delicious apples being among the largest.The taste may be sweet or tart .Generally sweet apples are eaten fresh while tart apples are used to make applesauce.Apples can also be found in many foods (especially desserts) and drinks. Many beneficial health effects have been found from eating apples. However, the seeds are slightly poisonous.
Apple trees may grow as tall as twelve meters.They do best in areas that have very cold winters.Although no fruit is _ during the winter this cold period is good for the tree.
At least 55 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2010, with a value of about $ 10 billion. China produced about 35% of this total. The United States was the second-leading producer, with more than 7.5% of world production. Iran was third, followed by Turkey, Russia, Italy and India. | high21702.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "unhappy"
},
"options": [
"angry",
"lucky",
"glad",
"unhappy"
],
"question": "\"Blue\" sometimes means in spoken English \" _ \".",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | John keeps a record of new words and expressions in English. He usually writes them in a note-book. Then, later in the day, he asks his teacher about them. "Mrs. Thomas, these expressions are new to me. 'She's blue today.', 'You're yellow', 'A little white lie', 'She has green fingers'." After looking at the note-book, Mrs. Thomas says, "In everyday English, John,'blue' sometimes means sad. 'Yellow' means afraid. A person with 'green fingers' grows plants successfully. And 'a white lie' is not a bad lie." "I don't understand. Please give me an example." " For example, I offer you some cake. The truth is that you don't like my cake. You don't say that. Instead, you say, 'No, thanks, I'm not hungry.' That's a white lie." John says, "I see , thanks for the explanation!" | high1591.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Isabella Stewart Gardner and her museum"
},
"options": [
"how Isabella Gardner realized her dream of being an artist",
"how Mr.and Mrs.prefix = st1 /Gardner added to their collections of art",
"how Isabella's museum was opene... | Isabella Stewart was born in New York City in 1 840.Her father made a great deal of money in the trade.During school,her parents took her to Italy to explore the country's many cultural treasures.
One of the private art collections Isabella visited in Milan had a deep influence on her.She wrote to her friends about her dream of owning a house one day with an art collection like the one she had seen in Italy.
In Paris,Isabella became close friends with one of her classmates,Julia Gardner,whose family was from Boston.Julia would later introduce Isabella to her brother,Jack.In 1 860,Isabella Stewart married Jack Gardner.
The couple had too much art to fit inside their home.So they decided to start planning a museum.Mrs. Gardner didn't like the cold and empty.spaces of many museums during her time.She wanted a warm museum filled with light.She once said that she decided years ago that the greatest need in her country was art.America was a young country developing quickly in other areas.But the country needed more chances for people to See beautiful examples of art.
After her husband's death in 1 898.Isabella knew she had no time to lose in building her museum.She bought land,hired a building designer,and supervised every detail of her museum's construction.
Mrs.Gardner opened her museum on January 1,1 903,which was then called Fenway Court.She invited her friends that night for a special musical performance.The next month,she opened the museum to the public.At first,visits were limited to twenty days out of the year.Visitors paid one dollar to enter.
Isabella Stewart Gardner died in 1 924 in Boston.In her will,she left the museum a million dollars and a series of requirements about how it should be managed, one that the permanent collection cannot be changed. | high23115.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Sixty One"
},
"options": [
"Pow Wow",
"Playlist",
"The Sixty One",
"Pandora"
],
"question": "If you enjoy listening to some new music, you can pay a visit to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | While you are online there are plenty of perfectly legal sites where you can listen to music for free. This gives you the chance to listen to music before buying it, discover new music, and create great online playlists that you can share with others.
The Sixty One
The Sixty One is devoted to showcasing obscure or unknown artists of all genres. There's a range of musical styles from classical to rock and roll, folk to jazz, and everything in between. Don't expect to find big name musicians on here; you're more likely to find the musicians playing at local coffee shops than bands you hear on the radio..
Pow Wow
Pow Wows are the Native American people's way of meeting together, to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships, and making new ones. This is a time method to renew Native American culture and preserve the rich heritage of American Indians. PowWows.com has 2 online radio stations that play Native American Music 24/7 free! Here you can listen to your favorite artists and drum groups on your computer or mobile device and add your music to our station.
Playlist
Playlist has an enormous library, so you can create playlists with almost any musician you can think of. They have both some lesser known artists and big names, so you have a really good selection. The worst part: Due to licensing laws, many of the songs on Playlist are now restricted to certain countries. So unless you live inside the US, it is likely that you might not be able to find all of your favorite songs.
Pandora
Pandora is an intelligent Internet radio site. Basically, as you listen, you can give each song a thumbs up or thumbs down. You can create your own radio station that only plays music you like. The best part: It listens to your opinion, so that after a while it's only playing music you like, but the list is always changing and expanding.
My Space
Combine a major social networking site with thousands of artists around the world. Each musician has their own page, which normally has a playlist of several of their songs. But it has a huge range of musicians ranging from huge stars to the up-and-coming, and you can listen to the music and interact with the rest of the page. | high12257.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he believed they were able to pass the exam"
},
"options": [
"he liked the students who wanted to get a \"B\"",
"he believed they were able to pass the exam",
"he thought any teacher should give them a \"B\"",
"he thoug... | The professor stood before his class of 30 senior biology students, about to pass out the final exam. "I have been honored to be your teacher this term, and I know how hard you have all worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you are off to medical school or graduate school next fall," he said to them.
"I can well understand how much pressure you are under to keep your grades up, and because I know you are able to understand this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic "B" to anyone who would prefer not to take the final."
In relief a number of students jumped up to thank the professor and left the class. The professor looked at the students who remained, and offered again, "Any other takers? This is your last chance." One more student decided to go.
There were seven students left. The professor closed the door. Then he handed out the final exam. There were only two sentences typed on the paper: "Congratulations, you have just received an "A" in this class. Keep believing in yourself."
I never had a professor who gave a test like that. It may seem like the easy way out of grading a lot of exams, but it's a test that any teacher in any subject could and should give. Students who don't have confidence in what they've learned are "B" students at best.
The same is true for students of real life. The "A" students are those who believe in what they're doing because they've learned from both successes and failures. They have learned life's lessons, whether from formal education or the school of hard knocks, and become better people.
Take your cue from Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma: "It's not the mountain we conquer , but ourselves." Don't let the biggest limit be yourself. | high22394.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it consumes natural resources"
},
"options": [
"it makes the world warmer",
"it consumes natural resources",
"it brings severe damage to future",
"it makes growth hard to continue"
],
"question": "The traditiona... | In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources , the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a popular trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy resolution. It is now trying hard to made full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil , which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge public expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from the traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of a growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers a large of new chances for sustainable product industries. | high15538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "shy."
},
"options": [
"disappointed.",
"helpful.",
"lively.",
"shy."
],
"question": "At the beginning of Nadia's first day at school, she was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | At first Kate thought the Romanian girl could not speak and understand English. Nadia would not reply to anything Kate said. Kate was in charge of showing Nadia around on her first day at Buck Minister Grade School. Kate could not figure out why the school had put Nadia in a class where she could not understand what people were saying.
"Why did they do this?" Kate wondered aloud. "I mean, you can't learn if you can't understand the teacher."
Nadia's voice was a whisper (speaking in a very low voice). "I understand English. I will learn." Nadia's English was perfect.
Kate was _ . She couldn't understand why Nadia did not like to speak. Then she realized that moving to a new country probably wasn't the easiest thing to do. There were hundreds of unfamiliar and unusual things to learn - all at the same time.
"There're a lot of new things to learn, huh?" said Kate.
Nadia nodded rapidly. In a quiet voice she replied, "Many things people say, I do not understand. I have been speaking English and Romanian all my life, but I do not know what some children are saying. For example, yesterday a boy asked if I could help him find the USB port on a thin black box he was carrying. Isn't a port a place for ships? It made no sense to me."
"Don't worry." said Kate. "You'll figure everything out in time. You see, that thin black box was a computer. A USB port is a place where you can connect other machines to a computer."
Nadia and Kate were quiet after that. They took notes while the teacher gave a maths lesson. To Kate's surprise, Nadia put up her hand and offered to answer the questions at the blackboard.
Nadia handled every question the teacher gave her. Some of the questions were really difficult, and no one understood what was going on except Nadia and the teacher. When the teacher said that Nadia answered everything correctly, the whole class clapped their hands.
Nadia was smiling when she sat back down next to Kate. "Some things," she said in a normal voice, "are the same all over the world." | high9052.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "suffered the loss of part of their skin"
},
"options": [
"suffered the loss of part of their skin",
"all survived for the duration of the mission",
"were fed and watered by the astronauts",
"participated in 20 experimen... | Humans have launched themselves into the outer space. They've landed on the moon. They've built habitable space stations that orbit the Earth. The next giant leap for mankind is to reach another planet - specifically, Mars.
The problem is that it's no easy task. The planet is 586 times further away from the Earth than the moon, and it'll take around 180 to 220 days to reach Mars, depending on where each planet is in its orbit. Such long periods in space have suggested many potential health problems, including hormonal changes, skin conditions, and muscle and bone deterioration .
Here's where some furry friends come in. A wide range of animals have been in space, from fruit flies and spiders to cats, and dogs. Such experiments began as far back as the late 1940s in first tests to see if living things could _ the extreme g-force of a rocket launch.
Mice continue to play a very important part in space experiments, mainly because the animals make excellent test subjects. They're small, which makes them inexpensive and easy to care for. In addition, their size and short life span make it possible to do the equivalent of several human years of tests in a much shorter time. Finally, because mice are mammals, they share many common characteristics with humans in terms of genetics, biology and behavior.
Astromice have hit the headlines recently, as a team of scientists led by Betty Nusgens, professor of biology at the University of Liege in Belgium, found that the mice suffered a 15 percent thinning of their skin after 91 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
This experiment was part of a wider NASA mission called the Mice Drawer System (MDS). The Italian Space Agency developed the facility, which allows six mice to be housed, monitored, and automatically fed and watered aboard the ISS, among which three survived during the mission.
The mice have participated in 20 separate experiments, to study such effects as osteoporosis , anemia and heart health.
Results for the 20 experiments are coming in gradually. But it's clear that mice continue to play an important role in the ongoing quest to conquer the final frontier. | high14626.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Study Suggests Video Games Might Help Dyslexics"
},
"options": [
"Video Games are good for children.",
"Study Suggests Video Games Might Help Dyslexics",
"A study about Video Games is being carried out.",
"Children with... | Dyslexia is a learning disorder, it interferes with the ability to recognise words, and for some readers to understand what they have read.
Experts say dyslexia affects about five to ten percent of the population of the United State. Researchers have long known that people with dyslexia write or read words and letters backwards in the wrong order.
But a new study shows that people with dyslexia may have trouble redirecting their attention between senses, from seeing something to hearing something. The study suggests something that might help dyslexic people learn more quickly - play video games.
Vanessa Harrar of Britain's University of Oxford led the study. She reported the findings in the journal Current Biology. The study suggests that dyslexic people may have trouble moving quickly from what they read to what they hear. Doctor Harrar calls this a " _ shifting of attention across the senses."
"So, if you are trying to read something and then trying to listen to somebody who's reading aloud and you're trying to follow along with what they are reading -- they have to switch their attention from hearing what they are saying to looking at the piece of paper and back again. So we found they have quite sluggish shifting of attention across the senses," said Harrar.
In the study, Doctor Harrar tested 17 people with dyslexia, and 19 others without reading problems. The volunteers were asked to push a button as quickly as possible when they heard a sound, saw a light or experienced both together. Doctor Harrar compared the speed of their reactions.
She found that people with dyslexia were just as fast as the others when they saw only a picture or heard only a sound. But the dyslexics had a slower reaction time when they heard a sound and saw a picture at the same time.
Doctor Harrar feels like playing action video games could help dyslexic people shift from seeing to hearing more quickly. She adds that images in video games force the eyes to move and focus quickly.
"Video game types of things pop out of here and there, they move your eyes around the screen quite quickly in response to things quite quickly, and the more you play a video game the faster you get that kind of thing. So, the video game is really training the attention system to move quickly," said Harrar.
The study also shows that dyslexic people have the most difficulty going between what they saw and what they heard, this may have an effect on how dyslexic children are taught how to read.
When children learn the alphabet,they usually see the letter first and then hear the sound, or they see and hear the letter at the same time. The study shows that dyslexics might learn more quickly if they hear the sound of a letter or word first before seeing it. | high6361.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The boy couldn't earn enough money with the old man."
},
"options": [
"It was too dangerous to continue fishing.",
"It was time for the boy to return to school.",
"The old man was thought to be a poor teacher.",
"The bo... | The old man fished alone in a small rowboat and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy's patents had told him that the old man was now bad luck, and ordered the boy to join another boat, which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his boat empty and he always went down to help him carry in the fishing lines or take down the old, patched sail.
"Santiago," the boy said to him as they dragged up the boat to the sand. "I could go with you again. I've made some money." the old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him. "No," the old man said. "You're with a lucky boat. Stay with them. You must obey your father." "We can be lucky again too. Remember when we didn't catch a fish for 10 days, then caught a big one each day for a month?" said the boy. "Can I offer you a beer on the balcony and then we'll take the stuff home," said the boy. "Why not?" the old man said.
"Santiago," the boy said as they sat on the balcony, "If I cannot fish with you, I would like to serve in some way." "You bought me a beer," the old man said, lifting the bottle to his mouth. "Do you remember the first time I took you out to fish?" the old man asked. "I was five. I remember the tail of a huge fish slapping against the boat, the noise of you clubbing him and the sweet blood smell. I remember everything from when we first went together," the boy said. The old man looked at him with his sun-burned, loving eyes.
"May I get some sardines for tomorrow? Let me get four fresh ones," said the boy. "One," the old man said. His hope and his confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening like a sea breeze. "Two," the boy said. "Thank you," the old man said. He was too simple to wonder when he had attained modesty. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride. "Tomorrow is going to be a good day with this wind," he said. "I will row far out before it is light. There will going to be a good day with this wind," he said. "I will row far out before it is light. There will be a big fish?" asked the boy. "I think so. And I know many tricks." | high10440.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "normal breathing"
},
"options": [
"mouth-breathing",
"snoring",
"sleep apnea",
"normal breathing"
],
"question": "Sleep-disordered breathing makes it hard for people to have _ while sleeping.",
"question_t... | "Sleep-disordered breathing" is a term for a group of conditions that can interfere with nornlal breathing while people sleep.These include snoring,mouth-breathing and sleep apnea .Sleep-disordered breathing can do more than just leave people feeling tired the next day.It can also affect people's health.In children the effects can include behavioral and emotional problems.
In a new study.1ed by Karen Bonuck at the Einstein College of Medicine.researchers asked parents about their children's breathing from when they were babies up to about age seven.The study finds sleep-disordered breathing is associated with a fifty percent increase in outcomes including hyperactivity ,aggressiveness and problems relating to other children.
Ms.Bonuck says the more serious the breathing problems,the more serious the behavioral issues were likely to be.Other studies have:linked sleep with children's behavior,but this study was extensive enough to:reject other possible causes.
How well do you sleep?A popular belief is that sleep gets worse with age.But. in another new study,those who reported the fewest problems with the quality of their sleep were people in their eighties.
Researchers did a telephone survey of American aduhs.Michael Grandner at the University of Pennsylvania medical school says the original goal was to confirm that aging is connected with increased sleep problems.The survey did find an increase during middle age,worse in women than men.But except for that,people reported that their sleep quality improved as they got older.At least they felt it did.
Mr.Grandner says."Even if sleep among older Americans is actually worse than in younger adults,feelings about it still improve with age."
In the study,health problems and depression were linked with poor sleep.But,based on the study.Mr.Grandner says older people who are not sick or depressed should be reporting better sleep."If they're not.they need to talk to their doctor."he says.He says heahtlh care providers generally dismiss sleep complaints from older adults as a normal part of aging. | high21845.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She felt herself a nobody."
},
"options": [
"She had seven brothers.",
"She felt herself a nobody.",
"She was too shy to go to school.",
"She did not have any good teachers."
],
"question": "Which of the followi... | Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in 1954 to a Mexican American family. As the only girl in a family of seven children, she often felt like she had "seven fathers," because her six brothers, as well as her father, tried to control her. Feeling shy and unimportant, she retreated into books. Despite her love of reading, she did not do well in elementary school because she was too shy to participate.
In high school, with the encouragement of one particular teacher, Cisneros improved her grades and worked for the school literary magazine. Her father encouraged her to go to college because he thought it would be a good way for her to find a husband. Cisneros did attend college, but instead of searching for a husband, she found a teacher who helped her join the famous graduate writing program at the University of Iowa. At the university's Writers' Workshop, however, she felt lonely----a Mexican American from a poor neighborhood among students from wealthy families. The feeling of being so different helped Cisneros find her "Creative voice."
"It was not until this moment when I considered myself truly different that my writing acquired a voice. I knew I was a Mexican woman, but I didn't think it had anything to do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, but it had everything to do with it! That's when I decided I would write about something my classmates couldn't write about."
Cisneros published her first work,The House on Mango Street, when she was twenty-nine. The book tells about a young Mexican American girl growing up in a Spanish-speaking area in Chicago, much like the neighborhoods in which Cisneros lived as a child. The book won an award in 1985 and has been used in classes from high school through graduate school level. Since then, Cisneros has published several books of poetry, a children's book, and a short-story collection. | high2107.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Causing childcare costs to go up."
},
"options": [
"Damaging Britain's economic development.",
"Causing damage to women's careers.",
"Decreasing the family incomes.",
"Causing childcare costs to go up."
],
"ques... | High childcare costs are putting British mothers off going out to work. It really is that simple. Eurostat figures show that 66 per cent of mothers in the UK work, less than France (72 per cent), Denmark (86 per cent), the Netherlands (78 per cent) or Germany (69 per cent). This not only damages Britain's economic prosperity--it limits women's careers and squeezes family incomes. It would be fine if this is the choice parents want to make, but it isn't. Half of those surveyed want to go to work and the expense of childcare is one of the key reasons they couldn't.
Despite claims made by Labour about childcare, a forthcoming report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) confirms the true legacy of their time in government. They left behind a childcare system with high costs to parents, variable quality and patchy coverage, despite soaring government spending. British parents now face the highest childcare bills in the world after Switzerland.
In the Eighties and Nineties under Mrs Thatcher and John Major, the picture was very different. Mothers in England were more likely to go out to work than their Dutch or German counterparts. But the position has reversed, despite a huge rise in public spending.
So why does the British Government spend more on childcare than France or Germany, even though the costs given to parents are sky-high? As always, under the previous government, money was frittered away without adequate focus on improving quality. Instead of clear and transparent funding, four separate funding streams were created, skewing the market and confusing parents and providers alike. The majority of the money was given away in cash benefits; so much of it did not get through to the front line.
The IPPR report points out that continental systems, in countries such as Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands, manage to deliver better value for money. What all of these systems have in common is a focus on quality, with greater flexibility and autonomy given to local providers. They also see a much higher proportion of government money getting to the front line. | high5668.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "listening to light music before bed"
},
"options": [
"listening to light music before bed",
"working out in the gym only in the day time",
"using expensive pillows that sell well",
"drinking lots of water instead of cof... | You're not doomed to toss and turn every night. Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that relate to your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.
No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired.
No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine -- which take hours to wear off -- can ruin quality sleep.
No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual
Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to light music. Be careful of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime has impact on sleep.
No. 4: Get comfortable
Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you -- or insist on separate sleeping quarters.
No. 5: Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can affect nighttime sleep -- especially if you're struggling with poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the mid-afternoon.
If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight -- which adjusts your internal clock -- doesn't interrupt your daytime sleep.
No. 6: Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.
No. 7: Manage stress
When you have too much to do -- and too much to think about -- your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and dividing tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend.
Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night -- but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve. | high11986.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Job opportunities."
},
"options": [
"Job opportunities.",
"Financial support.",
"Work training.",
"Child care."
],
"question": "Which of the following services is offered by Goodwill to retired soldiers and mili... | Goodwill welcomes the proven talent of retired soldiers and military family members to its workforce. As Goodwill expands its social enterprise and life-changing mission services, America's heroes and their families are helping us strengthen communities. Goodwill is uniquely intended to connect retired soldiers and military family members with their next careers. Goodwill links retired soldiers and their families with a broad array of career and financial fitness services as they transition from the military into hometowns and careers across the country. Services include but are not limited to financial education, housing assistance, primary health care, meal service, transportation, and connection to rehabilitation services .
In 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr Jill Biden carried out the Joining Forces plan to connect service men and women retired soldiers and their husbands or wives with the resources they need to find jobs. In April of that year, Goodwill set a new plan going, Goodwill for America's Heroes and Their Families, to expand its face-to-face career and family strengthening services. From April 2011 through March 2013, Goodwill has employed 1,856 retired soldiers and their families, and provided services to 99,386 retired soldiers and their families. And our commitment continues.
With the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Goodwill launched Vested in Retired Soldiers in the communities of Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles and San Antonio to help military retired soldiers and their families connect with the education, training and support services they need to succeed on the homefront. Goodwill also launched an initiative known as Operation: GoodJobs, as funded by the Walmart Foundation, which provides a complete career assessment and an individualized development plan that include a range of family needs, from basic needs like nutrition, shelter and child care, to specific job training identified in the assessment process for participants and their families. The initiative currently exists in Austin, Houston and Tacoma, and will add additional markets in 2014. | high19302.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a naughty boy"
},
"options": [
"a naughty boy",
"a good student",
"a handsome boy",
"a strong boy"
],
"question": "Mark Twain was _ in his childhood.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Mark Twain left school when he was twelve. Though he had little school education, he became the most famous writer of his time. He made millions of dollars by writing. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clements, but he is better known all over the world as Mark Twain, his penname.
Mark Twain was born in 1835 and he was not a healthy baby. In fact, he was not expected to live through the first winter. But with his mother's tender care, he managed to survive. As a boy, he caused much trouble to his parents. He used to play jokes on all his friends and neighbors. He didn't like to go to school, and he ran away from home from time to time. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. He was nearly drowned nine times.
After his father's death in 1847, Mark Twain began to work for a printer, who only provided him with food and clothing. Then, he worked as a river-boat pilot and later joined the army. But shortly after that he became a miner, during this period, he started to write short stories. Afterwards he became a full-time writer.
In 1870, Mark Twain got married. In the years that followed he wrote many books including
in 1876, and
in 1884, which made him famous, and brought him a great fortune .Unfortunately, Mark Twain got into debts in bad investments and he had to write large numbers of stories to pay these debts. In 1904, his wife died and then three of their children passed away.
He died on April 21, 1910 at the age of 70. | high16031.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "persuade kids to enter a contest"
},
"options": [
"persuade kids to enter a contest",
"ask kids to read more books",
"encourage kids to buy Boys' Life",
"advertise some children's books"
],
"question": "The purp... | Say Yes to Reading
Write a one-page report titled "The Best Book I Read This Year" and enter it in the Boy's Life 2012 "Say Yes to Reading!" contest.
The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words-- 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories :
* 8 years old and younger
* 9 and 10 years old
* 11 years old and older
First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift certificate good for any product in the Boy Scouts official retail catalog . Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift certificate and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate.
Everyone who enters will get a free patch . In coming years, you'll have the chance to earn different patches.
The contest is open to all Boys' Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry. Send your report to:
Boys' Life Reading Contest
S306
P.O. Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2012 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Winners of the 2011 reading contest will be announced in the July 2012 issue of Boys' Life magazine.
And the 2010 first-place winners are:
8 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER
Tyler Bergmann chose "Can You Keep a Secret?" by PJ Petersen as his favorite book. "It talks about honesty and the importance of being trust-worthy, which really matter between friends," Tyler writes.
9 AND 10 YREARS OLD
Nathaniel Griffis read "The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones" by Rick Riordan. Writes Nathaniel: "As I read, I learned about places I have never been and things I have only imagined."
11 YEARS OLD AND OLDER
Devin MacGoy, 12 chose "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Grane. "A reader can take away many lessons," Devin writes. | high3219.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it was quite friendly to the writer"
},
"options": [
"it pretended to be friendly to the writer",
"it wanted to attack the writer",
"it was too scared to run away",
"it was quite friendly to the writer"
],
"ques... | One cold morning in winter, I went alone to a hillside to do some hunting. I sat there waiting for about an hour. Suddenly, a big beautiful deer appeared less than 20 feet away from me. There was no cover near him. Surely I could shoot him.
To my surprise, he came toward me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe he was stupid. For this was not a youngster, but a fully grown-up one. He must have known about men and their guns. But this deer came closer, and I still waited. His big eyes never moved away from my face. His wonderful head with a set of antlers was clear in sight.
I was getting a bit nervous as he walked closer. A big deer can do a lot of damage. Well, he walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me.
What happened next was hard to believe. But it all seemed quite natural. I held out my hands and scratched his head right between the antlers. And he liked it. The big, wild, beautiful deer bent his head.
I scratched and touched his head and body. His nose touched my shoulder. I fed him with my last sandwich.
Well, he finally went his way, down the hill. Shoot him? Not me. You wouldn't, either. Not after that. I just watched him go, a strong deer carrying a proud head.
I picked up my gun, and started walking back. Suddenly, I heard two shots, one after another. If you have hunted much, you will know what two shots mean. They mean a kill. I had forgotten that there were other hunters around.
You will now understand why I gave up hunting from that day on. | high11038.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Young Ones"
},
"options": [
"Drop Dead Fred",
"Blackadder",
"The Young Ones",
"Bottom"
],
"question": "It was _ that made Rik Mayall's career really take off .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | British actor and comedian Rik Mayall died at 56 in London . As one of the leading lights of Britain's comedy scene in the 1980s , he is best known for starring roles in hit TV series Blackadder , The Young Ones , The New Statesman and Bottom .
His agent, Kate Benson told CNN Mayall died suddenly ; she did not know the cause of his death.
Mayall first found widespread fame in student sitcom "The Young Ones," which ran for two years on the BBC, and was later shown on MTV in the United States. The series focused on the lives of four roommates at "Scumbag College."
Writer and comedian Ben Elton told the Press Association Mayall had " changed his life " by asking him to work on The Young Ones . " He always made me cry with laughter , now he's just made me cry . "
In the 1990s, Mayall played a role in Bottom , a series about two unemployed flat mates who spend most of their time attacking each other violently with anything that comes to hand . Mayall also branched out into movies , taking the lead role in 1991's Drop Dead Fred , in which he played the imaginary friend of Phoebe Cates , returning years later to cause trouble in the now grown-up Cates' life .
Mayall survived a bike accident in 1998; he was unconscious for five days after the crash, on his farm in Devon, southwest England, and developed epilepsy as a result of the severe head injury he suffered in the accident . In an interview several years later, he joked that he "beat Jesus" by coming back from the hell . He said the accident left him more aware of being alive.
House star Hugh Laurie, who worked with Mayall on Blackadder, took to Twitter to recount a story about his co-star: "A young girl, stricken with terminal cancer, once asked Rik Mayall for an autograph. He wrote: 'Young Ones are never afraid.'" | high19464.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are creative and persistent."
},
"options": [
"They are hardworking and courageous.",
"They are stubborn and bold.",
"They are creative and persistent.",
"They are curious and modest."
],
"question": "Which... | In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Evcryone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed. | high4210.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "his continuing efforts in the field of science"
},
"options": [
"his continuing efforts in the field of science",
"his disability in body",
"his book with the title of A Brief History of Time",
"his profound idea"
]... | Hawking Fever Hit prefix = st1 /China
Hawking has left much for Chinese to think about.
British physicist Stephen Hawking,possibly the world's most famous scientist after Albert Einstein,gave lectures in Zhejiang and Beijing in August.
An illness left him unable to move any part of his body except for the three fingers.But his continuing efforts in the field of science have made many young people take him as their idol.
His books,such as A Brief History of Time,become bestseller in Chinese bookstores.
"Hawking helps people expand their horizons and become interested in science,"said Pan Yunhe,president of Zhejiang University.
Indeed,experts don't think it likely that Hawking's lectures and profound ideas will be easily understood by the average persons.But he has certainly sowed the seeds of science among many young people.
And the "Hawking fever" cause by his visit has made people ask:How can China produce more top scientists like Hawking?
"Nurturing top scientists will take as much as work to change society as to educate the scientists themselves,"said Zhang Fan.Zhang has studied in the UK since 1999 and will be a sophomore at Trinity College in October.
In Britain,Zhang said,teacher inspire students to have a general understanding of the subjects they are interested in.and they encourage students to develop new ideas,which helps them to nurture their creativity.
In China,the Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to provide quality education to tap students' potential.
"I hope teachers will pay more attention to helping us use our imaginations and solve problems on our own,"said Lu Jie,a Junior Three student in Sanfan Middle School in Beijing. | high16757.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "in a park"
},
"options": [
"on Clay's way home",
"on Clay's way to school",
"when Clay is shopping",
"in a park"
],
"question": "The man kidnaps Clay _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Clay is 13 years old, and he lives in Miami, the United States. On the morning of Feb.23, when Clay is waiting for school bus, a man kidnaps him.The man takes him to a tree. He puts a stock in Clay's mouth. Then he asks for money from Clay's family.
Clay is very scared . But he remembers there is a safety pin in his pocket. He takes out the pin and cuts through the rope . Finally he gets free. Clay calls his mother
with a farmer's cell phone. Soon the police comes and Clay is safe.
The police thinks highly of Clay. "This man kidnaps the wrong boy," Charly Wells, a policeman says. "This boy notices things. And he's very brave ." | high17449.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Teachers."
},
"options": [
"Teachers.",
"Parents.",
"Students.",
"Headmasters."
],
"question": "Who are the materials mainly intended for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Penguin Group
Ordinary People Change The World!
Penguin Group and TFK have partnered together to help teachers show their students how they can make the world a better place. Building the encouraging lives of historic figures including Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein, this attractive program takes a look at the real life stories of ordinary young people who grew up to become extraordinary adults!
Download the classroom poster, student worksheets and teacher's guide provided below.
Classroom Poster : You can be a Hero, too. Classroom Poster
Teachers Guide : Ordinary People Series Teacher's Guide
Student Worksheet : Who's Your Hero? Worksheet
Student Worksheet : Hero Matchup Worksheet
PGA Junior League Golf
It Takes a Team!
TIME For Kids and PGA Junior League Golf have developed a program all about using teamwork to reach goals. Download this poster to get your students involved in the power and fun of teamwork and cooperation.
Encourage your class to go to timeforkids.com/teampoll and take the poll!
Classroom Poster : It Takes a Team!
International Fund for Animal Welfare(IFAW)
Cats, Dogs, & Us
TIME for Kids has partnered with IFAW to present an educational animal awareness program called Cats, Dogs, & Us. This project is sure to attract and engage students with discussion starters, in-class activity ideas, a video viewing guide, and many other in-depth and fun resources. Preview IFAW's Cats, Dogs, & Us video at http://ifaw.org/cats-dogs-and-us
Classroom Poster : Cats, Dogs, & Us Classroom Poster
Classroom Poster / Teachers Guide : Cats, Dogs, & Us Teachers Guide Full View
Teachers Guide : Cats, Dogs, & Us Teachers Guide Pages
Special Olympics
Special Olympics Project UNIFY(r)
in TIME and Special Olympics have teamed up to promote understanding of people's differences in the classroom, school and community. Special Olympics Project UNIFY(r) is an education-based project that uses sports and education programs to activate young people to develop communities where all youth are agents of change-promoting respect, dignity and support for people with mental disabilities.
TFK Extra : in TIME Project UNIFY(r) Student Guide
Teachers Guide : in TIME Project UNIFY(r) Teachers Guide | high10326.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "children learn from TV and can tell reality from what they see on it"
},
"options": [
"children who watch more TV are smarter than those who watch only one hour a day",
"children learn about drugs from watching TV",
"watching... | Recently a group of children in America poured some gasoline on a sleeping man and set him on fire. When caught, the children said they had done what they'd seen on TV.
The incidents make people angry who believe that American children are harmed by watching too much TV. They claim children can't tell between the fiction of TV and reality, and TV distracts them from learning and makes them violent.
To estimate the impact of TV on young people, "Life" magazine hires a company to interview hundreds of school children in Nora Springs, Iowa and in Dallas, Texas. Although the two cities are very different, the company finds children in each city watch the same TV shows.
Many Iowa children, who watch an average of three hours of TV a day, recognizing that life on TV is rosier than what they experience. Their favourite shows are situation comedies about American families in trouble. Many boys like violent shows about police detectives or heroes, girls particularly soap operas-stories about families and friends.
On the whole, children find real violence on news programs hard to take. "If you see a bus crash on the news, it's frightening," one fifth grader says. By and large, the Iowa children agree that the best thing about TV is it makes you laugh.
Children in Dallas are savvier about programs of drug use on TV. "They don't really show them doing it right. On TV they are not real." A fifth grader says.
"Life" agrees with a 1988 study by the U. S Department of education that finds children are none the worse for watching TV. The study finds TV doesn't have lasting effect on children. On the contrary, kids show good judgment about what they watch. "There are very few good shows on TV anymore," a 10-year-old boy says.
While the debate about TV is so heated, the "Life" survey gives hope that American kids aren't wasting three or four hours a day (what is worse, by the time young people enter college today, they will have devoted more time to watching television than they will spend in college). However, a child watching TV isn't reading a good book or joining in healthful sports. | high1368.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The wolves left will still be more than those to be protected in the original federal wolf recovery plans."
},
"options": [
"Some will die of natural causes if they are not killed by hunters.",
"Hunters kill gray wolves for the goo... | Until March 28, the fate of the gray wolf in the Rocky Mountains was in the hands of the federal government because the wolf was listed as an endangered species. But once it was removed from the list -- a decision that is being challenged in court by a dozen conservation groups -- the gray wolf fell under the protection of individual states. That is turning out to mean almost no protection at all.
prefix = st1 /Idaho's Fish and Game department announced last week that it would allow 428 of the state's estimated 1,000 wolves to die this year. Some will die of natural causes. Most will be killed by hunters.
Idaho officials argue that the remaining population will still be larger than the very small number to be protected in the original federal wolf recovery plans. But Idaho's Fish and Game department has overruled its own staff biologists, who for the good of the wolf population -- and the ecosystem as a whole -- argued that more animals should be allowed to survive.
Sadly, in Idaho, wolves are nothing more than another game animal to be managed for the benefit of human hunters.
Beginning on Sept. 15, any Idaho hunter with a hunting license and $10.50 for a wolf tag will be entitled to shoot one wolf, at least until the quota of dead wolves in his region has been reached. And how will a hunter know if the local quota has been reached? There will be a hot line, of course.
Hunters will be encouraged not to shoot wolves wearing radio collars because those wolves are still being studied. Perhaps the solution is to fit all wolves with radio collars.
It is still possible that Idaho's wolves -- and the wolves in other states -- will get a _ . A federal judge will soon decide whether to support or object to the government's decision to delist the gray wolf. We hope he will restore the wolf to the endangered species list. There is no better proof of how dangerous life is for wolves thanIdaho's plan to protect them. | high24083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "How to beat a bad mood."
},
"options": [
"How to beat a bad mood.",
"How to talk bad moods out.",
"How to do physical exercises.",
"How to join in aerobic exercises."
],
"question": "What is the main subject dis... | Moods, say the experts, are feelings that tend to become fixed, influencing one's outlook for hours, days or even weeks. That's great if your mood is a pleasant one, but a problem if you are sad, anxious, angry or simply lonely.
Perhaps the best way to deal with such moods is to talk them out; sometimes, though, there is no one to listen. Modern pharmacology offers a lot of tranquilizers What many people don't realize, however, is that scientists have discovered the effectiveness of several non-drug methods to set you loose from an unwanted mood. These can be just as useful as drugs, and have the added benefit of being nonpoisonous. So next time you _ don't head for the drug-store but try the following methods.
Of all the mood-altering self-help techniques, aerobic exercise seems to be the most efficient cure for a bad mood. "If you could keep up the exercise, you'd be in high spirits, " says Kathryn Lance, author of Running for Health and Beauty.
Researchers have explained biochemical and various other changes that make exercise compare favourably to drugs as a mood raiser. Physical exertion such as housework, however, does little. The key is aerobic exercise--running, cycling, walking, swimming or other repetitive and sustained activities that increase the heart rate, increase blood circulation and improve the body's use of oxygen. Do some of the activities for at least 20 minutes a session three to five times a week. | high9734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Sweden."
},
"options": [
"Britain.",
"France.",
"Sweden.",
"Spain."
],
"question": "In the first news item, which country is NOT covered in the research?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | Now, it's time for some brief news items.
Teens Go Online
Some 13 million European children under 18 use the Internet for schoolwork, games and music according to research done by Nielsen's "Net-rating". The study covered Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Experts advised parents to limit the time their kids spend on line and keep them away from chat rooms.
Chat to the magic Mum
British author J. K. Rowling, mother of magic boy Harry Potter, will do an Internet interview about her new book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" on June 26. Before the event, children are invited to send their questions about Harry to the website. The book will hit stores in the US and UK on June 21 and will arrive in China in August.
School Soldiers
Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided. The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward the education of their love for their country.
Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll out of bed in their pajamas and go to class in their own bedrooms, Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state's only online school, has 250 students who are taking classes at home by computer. Students in this first online program take classes in algebra , American government, chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes. | high64.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to tell the students how to study well"
},
"options": [
"to prove that learning is not difficult",
"to make the readers be interested in study",
"to tell the importance of self teaching",
"to tell the students how to st... | Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a better student. By using your time properly, you can do your homework more quickly. Learning to study is not difficult.
The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn. It doesn't mean that you must always like the subject. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn. Try to understand why it is important and how it will help you now and later to do and learn other things. Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life. Knowing how to spell makes any kind of writing easier. Sometimes the subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work with them.
Here's some advice for you: have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study, so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions; have everything ready before you sit down to study, a dictionary, paper, a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn before you start; read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things; when memorizing, first find out the main parts and then recite the whole thing; check your homework after you finish it; never forget the importance of review and preview.
Don't try to spend a lot of time researching learning methods. There are many students who know many good learning methods but don't study well. They forget that the most useful learning method is to study hard. | high824.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Improve kids' sense of manners by having a formal dinner at times."
},
"options": [
"Try dining out in fast food restaurants once in a while.",
"Point out what's wrong with the kids' behavior at dinner.",
"Keep telling the ki... | Seven tips to good table manners
Whether it's a dinner at a friend's house or a business meeting over lunch, we judge people based on their table manners. But what can you do if your kids do not behave themselves at the dinner tables? The following are seven tips to set your children on the road to good table manners:
*Look for the good. Instead of pointing out all the things your children do wrong, point out what they do right. Please say, for example, "I am so proud of you. It was wonderful the way you served yourself."
*Don't turn dinner into an unpleasant "lecture time". That will turn kids off not only manners, but dinner, and you, too.
*Check your own example. Don't show up for dinner in just your underwear unless you want your kids to do the same.
*Don't always consider your kids lazy and dirty ones. Instead, point out the behavior in a tender way. For example: " It' s a good idea to unfold your napkin, so if food falls you won't dirty your clothes."
*Teach your kids good manners in the form of a game. One night a week, try to have a formal dinner. Try dressing up, serve a special meal, and expect more formal manners. That will help improve their sense of manners.
*Make kids understand part of the tradition. Invite guests over and let kids help serve them. This helps them indirectly learn about table manners.
*Try dining out once in a while. Fast food restaurants aren't counted. Try a nice restaurant and let kids order their own food, pay the bill and give the tip. | high23934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pay his/her own share of money"
},
"options": [
"foot the bill for a fellow student",
"let his/her part of the finances slide",
"pay his/her own share of money",
"take more responsibility than others"
],
"questi... | Living with other students can be a wonderful experience. Here are a few tips for student accommodations that can help ensure a great experience and build lifelong friendships: Screen your roommates carefully if you are given a choice. Combining the living spaces of several students into one location can be exciting and rewarding experience for the outgoing students. If you are on the shy side, or prefer a quiet group to study with, pick quieter roommates.
Divide the bills evenly. Some students are far less responsible than their roommates and tend to let their part of the finance slide. Dissatisfaction is quick to build when everyone has to pay the bill for a fellow student who can't seem to pay his/her share of the money.
Carry your part of the load. Everyone has to clean the bathroom and the kitchen sometime. Don't avoid your part of responsibility. Student accommodations can get messy and it involves everyone to keep them tidy and healthy.
Think about someone else before you think about yourself. Put your roommates interests above your own. Life will be far enjoyable when everyone is concerned about the feelings property and studies of each other.
Be open and honest. Hostilities and frustrations may cause problems that can't be fixed. Everyone brings different standards and expectations to group living and it's in everyone's best interest to put them into the open. Disagreements can be managed more warmly when your are willing to be both open and listen to others. | high12531.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "France does successfully in controlling road accidents"
},
"options": [
"France has a very poor record of road safety",
"we'd better ignore the evidence that speed cameras save lives",
"France had less road deaths than Austra... | We all hate speed cameras, don't we? They're not there to slow drivers down and lower the road accidents; they just make money for the government. They trick us, cost us cold hard cash, disturb us from driving properly and are unfair.
Well, here's a surprising thing: what if there were facts that the boring cameras actually saved lives? It's a conclusion difficult to ignore when you look at what's happening in prefix = st1 /France, a country with a historically poor record of road safety.
There were 16,617 road deaths in 1972 in France, for example, but that dropped to 8412 by 1995 following rules such as compulsory seat belt wearing in 1990 and a lowering of the blood alcohol limit to 0.05 in 1995.
Last year, the road deaths dropped below 5000 for the first time, or 4.9 percent less than 2004, comparing road deaths to population in 2005, that's about 817 per million people compared withAustralia's 806.
And guess what? Last year the number of speed cameras on French roads reached 1,000 and the government plans to double that within the next three years.
Okay, you know the arguments regarding increased traffic safety and cameras-for-income, but it seems in Francethere's been a major cultural change brought on by radars and other laws. A three-hour, wine-soaked lunch with a quick rush back to the office is no longer on.
Traveling on the highways, it is rare to see anyone breaking the 130km/h speed limits when once few traveled below it. The speed cameras are clearly signed so drivers know when they are coming. There's even an official web site listing fixed and mobile camera locations and it is updated regularly.
Maybe it is because of such transparency by government, rather than the secrecy too often used by authorities in many other countries that more French can enjoy the joy of living thanks to speed cameras. | high24097.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She played the recording instead of practicing."
},
"options": [
"She tried to make the piano teacher pleased.",
"She repeated the same mistake in practicing.",
"She played the recording instead of practicing.",
"She re... | My father' s family is not a musical family. They are a family of words. My brother has my father's dark hair, his love of a good argument. I take after my mother. From her I inherited a curious nature, a sense of adventure, bright red hair. I did not, contrary to her hopes, inherit a talent for the piano. That fact was established beyond doubt after unsuccessful attempts to draw music from me.
The piano lessons began when I was four. My mother was convinced that I would be a child Mozart. She found the ideal teacher--Madame Oblenka, a strict Russian woman, whose pursed lips were enough to frighten a wild horse into submission. Madame Oblenka, who expected a little Mozart, was not very delighted to find a little girl banging her fists on the keys.
I tried to please her. "Feel the music," she urged. I "felt" it and winced my ear--for what is more unpleasant than a series of wrong notes played continuously? She "felt" my music, too, which is why she always left with an angrier expression than when she came.
Once, when I was ten, I managed to record one of my own rehearsals . In order to escape my practice sessions, I would close myself behind the door of the piano room, put on the tape recording, and read until the tape had finished. That method worked for a week, until my mother began to wonder why I always missed the same B-sharp. She knocked on the door, and, receiving no answer, came in to check on me and found that I had fallen asleep while the tape of my performance played on and on.
I was twelve when my parents finally acknowledged that my hidden talent was not about to _ any time soon. My mother, refusing to admit defeat, told me to pick another instrument. "Choose anything you want, Honey," she said, assuming that freedom of choice would inspire devotion. I thought long and hard and chose the drums. My parents, sensitive to noise, would be less than overjoyed by a daily bombardment of playing. I imagined my father in his study, cotton wads in his ears.
I worked my way through several other instruments before my mother hit on another idea. Maybe I wasn't meant to be an instrumentalist. Realizing that drama might be more suited to my talents, Mom took me to a drama teacher. However, he put me backstage, painting scenery. Once I recovered from my sense of injury, I realized the wisdom of his choice. I loved the active, practical backstage world, and I discovered that I had a knack for constructing and painting. I loved the challenge of taking our scanty supplies and using them to make something beautiful. Imagining a scene and then seeing it emerge before me--this, to me, was close to magic.
I'm a sculptor now, and every day I experience afresh the joy of being fully absorbed in the act of artistic creation. It's a wonderful, blissful feeling. I realize that my parents, in their misguided attempts to interest me in music, were trying to give me this feeling. And now I feel grateful. Perhaps they went about it in the wrong way, but their hearts were in the right place. | high14154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The use of robots in space exploration costs more than the use of humans."
},
"options": [
"The use of robots in space exploration costs more than the use of humans.",
"It may be dangerous for humans to explore the solar system exc... | Surface Exploration. Robots make great explorers on planets,moons,and other landing areas. Aside from earth,just about every surface in the solar system is unsafe for humans to explore. The air on most other planets is insufficient for humans to breathe,making it necessary to wear a space suit and oxygen equipment. The temperatures on these surfaces are much too hot or much too cold for any humans to withstand .Plus there would be complications with radiation,weather,and a lack of gravity. Robots have much less limitation in these areas and can survive much longer under these conditions.
Data Collection. Robots are designed for collecting scientific data. Robots are also able to perform many tasks at a time and can process information much quicker and more efficiently. Important scientific projects from detecting minerals,analyzing ground samples,and finding water are all performed much quicker and more accurately by robots.
Cost Effective. The use of robots has made the cost of space exploration much less expensive than it would cost for humans to do the work. In order to successfully send humans into space we would need to build a vehicle that can not only carry humans,but also enough food and water to keep them alive for the duration of the trip. Moreover,robots have no problems working for hours on end. Robots never complain,they don't require food or water,and they never need a bathroom break.
Space Travel. Over the past 30 years or so there have been many different types of robots used successfully in the exploration of space. Perhaps the most famous and successful robots are the Spirit and Opportunity who have both been exploring the surface of Mars. They have both been very successful with experiments on soil and rocks and have even found evidence of water in Mars' history. | high9720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Two."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many kinds of facts about apples are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Every heard the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? It is true! Apples have a lot of nutritional value!
A medium sized apple has only 80 calories . What a great snack choice! Not only is an apple low in calories, they contain absolutely no fat. Thus, eating apples as snacks, as opposed to chips or cakes, will help reduce the risk of cancer.
On top of reducing the risk of cancer, the low sodium amounts in apples also help reduce high blood pressure and heart disease. They are cholesterol free. They are also rich in vitamin A, which helps strengthen vision along with bone and tooth development.
Now that we know the nutritional facts, let's take a look at some of the fun facts--That's right! Apples can be fun, as well as healthy!
If an apple is fresh, it will float on water. Twenty-five percent of an apple is air, thus allowing it to float. Can you imagine bobbing for apples that sink?
And, did you know that an apple is covered with a natural layer of wax ? That's what the peeling is. It protects the apple's high water content, keeping the apple fresh.
Apples are a very important part of a healthy diet, but keep in mind they can be fun. And always remember, if an apple sinks in water, pick another one to bob for! | high70.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "easier"
},
"options": [
"louder",
"easier",
"prettier",
"harder"
],
"question": "Hanna changes her name to Anne because \"Anne\" is _ for people to remember.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Anne and Joseph are talking about an interesting question. Why do some people change their names? There can be many reasons. Hanna changed her name to Anne because she thought it would be easier for people to remember. On the other hand, Joseph is thinking about changing his name to an unusual name because he wants to be different.
People have a lot of reasons for changing their names. Film stars, singers, sportsmen and some other famous people often change their names because they want names that are not ordinary, or that have special sound. They chose the "new name" for themselves instead of the name their parents gave them when they were born.
Some people have another reason for changing their names. They have moved to a new country and want to use a name that is usual there. For example, Li Kaiming changed his name to Ken Lee when he moved to the United States. He uses the name Ken at his job and at school. But with his family and Chinese friends, he uses Li Kaiming. For some people, using different names makes life easier in their new country.
In many countries, a woman changes her family name to her husband's after she gets married. But today, many women are keeping their own family name and not using their husband's. Sometimes, women use their own name in some situations and their husband's in other situations. And some use both their own name and their husband's. | high830.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he wanted to have another try after traveling many places"
},
"options": [
"he wanted to say sorry to Mr Rader for not selling out the magazines",
"Mr Rader was one of his s",
"he wanted to ask Mr Rader to offer him a job",
... | I was cleaning out an old box when an old card caught my eye. Queen City Casket Company. "What is it?" I wondered I turned it over. There, in faded ink, was a hand - scrawled message. Immediately my mind traveled back many years ago.
I was nine years old, walking down the cold, wet street of prefix = st1 /Springfield, with a bag of magazines on my shoulder. On my rounds that day, I came to that company finally, whose owner, Mr. Rader, had always taken me there to ask his workers whether they wanted any magazines.
Shaking off the rain like a wet dog, I entered Mr. Rader's office. After a quick glance he led me over to the fireplace. Noticing the hole in the top of my shoe, he said, "Come with me!" pulling me into his car . We pulled to a stop before a shoe store. Inside, a salesman fitted me with the finest pair of Oxfords I had ever seen. I felt about 10 feet tall when I got up in them. "We' d like a pair of new socks too," Mr. Rader said.
Back in his office, Mr. Rader took out a card, wrote something on it, and handed it to me. With tearful eyes, I read, " _ ." He said affectionately, "Jimmy, I want you to know I love you". I said goodbye, and for the first time I sensed a flam of hope that somehow things would be all right. With people like Mr. Rader in the world, there was hope, kindness and love, and that would always make a difference. | high23920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He was old enough to help his father."
},
"options": [
"He was old enough to help his father.",
"He became important to his father's business.",
"He was able to take care of large yards.",
"He could earn $6 that day."
... | My father woke me up early one summer morning when I was fourteen and announced: "Get up. You're going with me to cut grass."
The idea that my father thought I was old enough to help him in his business made me feel proud and excited. From sunup to sundown, my father, my younger brother and I worked in the large yards in a rich part of Atlanta, Georgia. By the end of the day I was tired out, but I felt good. I had put in a hard day's labor and had earned $ 6
One day my father found some leaves I'd missed and pulled me aside. "Clear away these leaves!" he said firmly, "and don't make me have to do it again." The message was clear. Today I value the importance of doing a job right the first time. It will never fail to impress the person you are working for.
After two years, my father told me and my brother that he felt we were old enough to do lawns on our own. Every Saturday during our last two years of high school, we set out early in the morning with the same desire and drive we had gained while working under our father.
Taking care of lawns was not exciting or high-paying, but that didn't matter. It taught me that any job was a good job and that whatever I was paid was more than I had before.
A newspaper reporter once asked me how someone could possibly live on a forty-hour-a-week minimum pay. "My father has never worked just forty hours a week, and neither have I," I replied. "If you're only working forty hours, you probably don't want to do any better than you are doing."
In every job I've held from doing lawns to washing dishes, I have learned something that helped me in my next job. If you work hard enough, you can learn from any job you do. | high19470.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is eager to see the world"
},
"options": [
"prefers to stay at home",
"feels a lot for pain",
"is eager to see the world",
"hates exotic places"
],
"question": "If a person is bitten by a travel bug, he _ .",... | Have you ever had the desire to wander the world and see what was out there? While some people prefer to stay in the comfort of their own home, others been bitten by the travel bug and can't wait to explore the world. Exotic places call to them. "Come to visit us and we will show you my mysteries," they say.
Every year millions of people pack their suitcases or put on backpacks and flock to visit the seven continents of the world. They wander through the castles and museums of Europe, and the cities and natural of North and South America. Some visit the vast exotic cultures of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The great outback of Australia is a wonderland for those who go there. And a few lucky people even realize their dreams to visit the most mysterious continent on the earth--Antarctic.
Why do people want to explore the world? It gives them a better understanding about the earth and the people living on it. It opens their minds, it gives them a feeling of accomplishment, and it makes them feel alive. So save some money, get your passport ready, and see the world. It will change your life forever. | high16743.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They recorded the students' brain activities."
},
"options": [
"They recorded the students' brain activities.",
"They pushed a button linked to the students.",
"They noticed whether they used a calculator.",
"They found... | New research shows how kids' brains reorganize as they learn math.
All the time you spent memorizing multiplication tables may have made you a better mathematician, according to a new study. A team of scientists from Stanford University, in California, have shown how the brain reorganizes itself as kids learn math.
After a certain amount of time spent practicing math, kids can put away the calculator . They don't even need to count on their fingers. They simply know the answers to subtraction , addition, and multiplication facts. The quicker kids can recall basic math facts, the easier it is for them to solve more complicated math problems.
The Stanford University researchers observed the brain activity of 28 students aged 7to 9 for the study. They took scans of the students' brains as the students solved math calculations without the help of a calculator, pen or paper. A calculation--three plus four equals seven, for example--flashed on a screen. The students pushed a button to say if the answer was right or wrong. The scientists also recorded the response speed, and what parts of the brain became active as the kids pushed the button.
These observations showed a process called fact retrieval . Rather than using their fingers to count, or writing out answers on a piece of paper, the students pulled the answers from memory. It's as if the answers to basic math problems are kept in a long-term storage area in the brain, which was built from repetition. "Experience really does matter," said Dr. Kathy Mann Koepeke.
Children make the shift from counting to fact retrieval when they are 8 to 9 years old, the study shows. This is the time when most students are learning basic addition and subtraction. When kids have basic math facts memorized, the brain has more free space to learn more complicated math.
This process has benefits for the future. The study shows as kids grow older, their answers rely more on memory and become quicker and more accurate. Less brain activity is devoted to counting. Some children make this shift quicker than others. | high10332.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "buying or selling paintings in the fair."
},
"options": [
"painting the beautiful scenes of Pairs.",
"visiting museums, churches and fairs.",
"trying out their new ideas in the way of painting.",
"buying or selling pain... | For many years, artists have flocked to Paris, France, to paint or to learn to paint. Perhaps artists first went there because of the city's beauty. They went to paint pictures of the broad, tree-lined streets, the great churches, and the graceful river bridges.
The artists felt comfortable in Paris because the people of the city had always enjoyed art. Paris had great art museums, filled with famous paintings and statues from many countries. And the people of Paris had always welcomed new ideas. In this city, artists felt free to experiment with new ways of painting.
As soon as famous artists painted in Paris, students came to learn from them. People came to buy paintings. People called art dealers set up galleries where paintings were bought and sold. Others kept shops that sold artists' paints and supplies.
Students and artists who were not yet famous could live in Paris for very little money. They learned by studying great art in the museums, and they learned from one another. They held art fairs, hanging their paintings outdoors along the streets.
Today, New York City and Florence, Italy, are also famous art centers. But the world's main art exhibits are still held in Paris. Important judges of art live there. Most of the new ways of painting that have started in the last hundred years began in Paris. So artists and art dealers still go to Paris because it is the world's leading art center. | high2675.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "history and tradition"
},
"options": [
"the honor and pride",
"history and tradition",
"function and law",
"politics and culture"
],
"question": "Today,the British royal still represents _ of the UK.",
"q... | In certain countries of the world,the king or queen is still the head country. The UK is one of these countries. So that does the British royal family represent for the British people today? Well,a large number of things. The royal family are of course a part of British history and tradition. They still have an important and meaning for many people today. It just wouldn't feel the same if there were no royal family. In addition to that,the queen has important formal duties:
*as head of the state,the Queen represents the UK on visits other would leaders to visit the UK.
*as head of the armed force,only the Queen can declare when the UK is at war or when the war is over.
*as head of the Church of England.
Not just the Queen,the royal family spend a great deal of their time traveling up and there should be royal family. Sometimes the press and media criticize the royal family as well. One criticism is that the British people should not have to pay for the royal through their taxes. Another is that the Buckingham Palace should be open to the public more often,in order to pay for the building repairs that are necessary. | high10454.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a decline of hormone may cause you to be depressed"
},
"options": [
"positive thinking can cure you of your diseases",
"positive thinking can easily be generated by anyone",
"a decline of hormone may cause you to be depressed... | One would have to be a fool to overlook the importance of using positive thinking for you rather than allowing negative thinking to work against you. In recent years, research in psychopharmacology has proved what many people have known over the centuries: a positive attitude is good for you, good for your health, good for your wealth, good for everything. Researchers found that a positive attitude produces a specific chemical reaction which makes people feel better, while negative thinking results in a decline of hormone and shuts down the immune system. This leads to illness and depression. Positive thoughts will make you feel better. Even if you must begin by literally forcing yourself to be positive (faking it, so to speak), it will become contagious and the positive thoughts will generate nice little chemicals and good feelings which will reinforce the positive thoughts.
For example, if you force yourself to smile or laugh, even when you don't feel like smiling or laughing, if you keep at it for a few minutes, you will soon feel like it. Feelings can generate thoughts, but thoughts can also generate feelings. Control your thoughts and you can control your feelings. Positive thinking is important in all aspects of our lives. There is probably no single factor more important in determining your success in achieving your career objectives than your own attitude.
It's often been said that in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in the office of militant negativism, the positive workers shine like gold. You cannot control external events, but you can learn to control your reaction to those events and thereby have a positive attitude and be happy. This vital key to success is totally within your control. Use it. | high2113.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the computer will be able to translate any language for you"
},
"options": [
"learning English will no longer be a difficult task",
"textbooks are no longer necessary",
"it's better to buy a computer than to go to classes",
... | Very soon a computer will be able to teach you English. It will also be able to translate any language for you,too. It's just one more incredible result of the development of microprocessors - those tiny parts of a computer commonly known as "silicon chips". So give up going to classes, stop buying more textbooks and relax. In a couple of years you won't need the international language of English.
Already Texas Instruments in the United States is developing an electronic translation machine. Imagine a Spanish secretary, for example, who wants to type a letter from the boss to a businessman in Sweden. All he or she will have to do is this: first type the letter in Spanish. The letter will appear on a television screen. After a few seconds the translated letter will appear on another television screen in Stockholm in perfect Swedish.
And that's not all. Soon a computer will be able to teach you English, if you really want to learn the language. You'll sit in front of a television screen and practice endless structures. The computer will tell you when you are correct and when you are wrong. It will even talk to you because the silicon chips can change electrical impulses into sounds. And clever programmers can predict the responses you, the learner, are likely to make.
So think of it.You will be able to teach yourself at your own pace.You will waste very little time,and you can work at home.And if after all that,you still can't speak English,you can always use the translating machine.In a few years,therefore,perhaps there will be no need for BBC Modern English,or BBC English by Radio programmes - no more textbooks or teachers of English.Instead of buying an exciting new textbook,the computer will ask you to replace it with a microprocessor.Fast,reliable and efficient language learning and translating facilities will be available to you.Think of that,no more tears or embarrassing moments.One little problem is that a computer can't laugh yet - but the scientists are working on it.Happy learning! | high11992.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "improve their education at home to get better jobs"
},
"options": [
"attend full-time universities",
"work part time to further their education",
"improve their education at home to get better jobs",
"earn their degrees... | Have you ever wondered what a Degree might be worth to you in your job or career ? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $10 000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma .
Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Degree in all of today's growing fidds--without having to go to college full time. With Harcourt, you study at home, in your spare time, so you don't have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like
Business Management, Accounting, Dressmaking & Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering and more! Your training includes everything you need! Books, lessons and learning aids are all included in the low tuition price you pay. Your education is nationally recognized! Nearly 2 000 American companies--including General Electric, IBM, Mobile, General Motors, Ford, and many others--have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employees in your area will, too!
Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today's hottest fields! Prepare for promotions , pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training!
Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon above. Then write in the name and number of the one program you're most interested in, and mail it today. We'll rush your free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities in the field you've chosen. Act today!
Mail coupon today! Or call the number below 1-800-372-1589. Call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Website: www. Harcourt-learning. com. E-mail: Harcourt@learning.com. | high18008.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "did not agree with him at the very beginning"
},
"options": [
"felt very happy",
"did not agree with him at the very beginning",
"thought he was dreaming",
"permitted him to enter the service"
],
"question": "Wh... | I was not quite seventeen when I decided to join the US Marine Corps.My mother tried her best to talk me out of my dream, and then finally signed the papers that would permit me to enter the service.
One day, nearly two years after the Philippines became my home, I was summoned to the office of Lieutenant Colonel Boyd.He seemed to be a kind man, but I was pretty sure that he hadn't called me in to pass the time of day.
Standing before his desk, I waited nervously as he read through some paperwork.Then he looked up."Why, Private, haven't you written to your mother for more than six months?"
I felt weak in my knees.Has it been that long? I thought.
"I didn't have anything to say, Sir."
Lieutenant Colonel Boyd told me that my mother had contacted the American Red Cross, which in turn communicated with my commanding officer about my failure to write. Then he asked, "Do you see that desk, Private?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Open the top drawer and you'll find some paper and a pen.Sit down right this minute and find something to say to your mother."
"Yes, Sir."
When I finished a brief letter, I stood before him again.
"Private, I'm ordering you to find something to say to your mother at least once a week.Do you understand?" I did.
Some 35 years later, my aged mother's mental condition was deteriorating, and I was forced to place her in a convalescent home .As I went through her belongings, I began inspecting the contents of an old cedar chest.At the bottom, tied with a bright red ribbon, I found a bundle of letters.
They were the letters I had been ordered to write from the Philippines.I sat on the floor of her apartment that afternoon reading each one, tears streaming down my cheeks.I now realized how deeply, as a young man, had upset her by my lack of consideration.
The lesson I learned may have been too late to help my mother, but it's still done me good.These days I don't need a commanding officer standing over me to write to my loved ones on a regular basis. | high20597.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Your classmates persuade you to cut class."
},
"options": [
"Your teachers give you a lot of homework.",
"Your parents expect high scores from you.",
"Your classmates persuade you to cut class.",
"Your relatives invite ... | Your peers are people your age or close to it who have experiences and interests similar to yours. You and your friends make dozens of decisions every day, and you influence each other's choices and behavior. This is often _ --- it's human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.
Sometimes, though, the stresses in your life can actually come from your peers. They may pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with, such as shoplifting, doing drugs or drinking, or taking dangerous risks when driving a car.
The pressure to conform can be powerful and hard to resist. A person might feel pressure to do something just because others are doing it. Peer pressure can influence a person to do something that is relatively harmless--- or something that has more serious consequences.
People may feel pressure to conform, so they fit in or are accepted, or so they don't feel awkward or uncomfortable. When people are unsure of what to do in a social situation, they naturally look to others for cues about what is and isn't acceptable.
The people who are most easily influenced will follow someone else's lead first. Then others may go along, too --- so it can be easy to think, "It must be OK. Everyone else is doing it. They must know what they're doing." Before you know it, many people are going along with the crowd --- perhaps on something they might not otherwise do.
Responding to peer pressure is part of human nature --- but some people are more likely to give in, and others are better able to resist and stand their ground.
It's not always easy to resist negative peer pressure. But when you do, it is easy to feel good about it afterwards. And you may even be a positive influence on your peers who feel the same way --- often it just takes one person to speak out or take a different action to change a situation. | high4562.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Teach people how to trade foreign currencies."
},
"options": [
"Trading with foreigners.",
"Lend money to those who need it.",
"Help people to found their own business.",
"Teach people how to trade foreign currencies."
... | According to the Small Business Association, more than 50 percent of all small businesses fail within the first five years. This is not the case for Apiary Fund CEO, Shawn Lucas. Shawn has grown a very successful business focusing on teaching people how to trade foreign currencies. The Apiary Fund not only gives their traders some of the best Forex education possible but also gives their traders money to trade with. The Apiary Fund had a slow start but has now become a company that recently hit $1 billion in trader volume . The Apiary Fund's success has come from the great business concept, and work ethic .
* Business Concept
The Apiary Fund has a very special but effective business concept, which Shawn Lucas discovered many years ago. You are probably wondering, where did this business concept come from? Shawn, while working as a Financial Advisor, received a phone call one day from a man he hadn't ever spoken to before. The man asked Shawn to go with him to China to do an analysis of a Chinese company's trading systems. The company at the time was under investigation for a possible violation of intellectual property rights. He agreed to go and before he knew it he was on a plane to China.
During the analysis of this Chinese company Shawn noticed the company had a very effective business method. He noticed that the risk manager had created a system that protected the company from rarely posting a losing day. The risk manager made this all possible by putting restrictions on the amount a trader could lose. If one of the traders lost even a small amount the risk manager would then be notified .
Shawn left China with a business concept that would later consume much of his life. After returning home, Shawn was devoted to creating a similar risk management system as the Chinese company had created. That risk management system turned into a successful business called the Apiary Fund.
* Work Ethic
The business concept alone didn't magically make the Apiary Fund into a booming business. The Apiary Fund became successful from hard work and devotion. This hard work and devotion has recently brought the Apiary Fund to hit a trading volume high of $1 billion. Shawn Lucas believes that by the end of this year the Apiary Fund can expect to see double or triple that volume. The company has experienced immense growth by making a few changes to their program structure, which has since increased growth by about five times within the last year.
Successful businesses are hard to start, but with a good business concept and great work ethic anything is possible. Shawn and the Apiary Fund are a great example of both. | high19316.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because planets are small and dark,and stars are large and radiant"
},
"options": [
"Because of the dust particles in our own solar system",
"Because of the limitations of earth-based telescope",
"Because even the Hubble is n... | Recent developments in astronomy have made it possible to detect planets in our own Milky Way and in other galaxies. This is a major achievement because,in terms,planets are very small and do not give out light. Finding planets is proving hard enough, but finding life on them will prove _ more difficult. The first question to answer is whether a planet can actually support life. In our own solar system,for example,Venus is far too hot and Mars is far too cold to support life. Only the Earth provides ideal conditions,and even here it has taken more than four billion years for plant and animal life to evolve .
Whether a planet can support life depends on the size and brightness of its star, that is its "sun". Imagine a star up to twenty times larger, brighter and hotter than our own sun. A planet would have to be a very long way from it to be capable of supporting life. On the contrary, if the star were small,the life--supporting planet would have to have a close orbit round it and also provide the perfect conditions for life forms to develop. But how would we fund such a planet? At present, there is no telescope in existence that is capable of detecting the presence of life. _ .
It is impossible to look for life on another planet using earth--based telescopes. Our own warm atmosphere and the heat generated by the telescope would make it impossible to detect objects as small as planets. Even a telescope in orbit round the earth like the very successful Hubble telescope,would not be suitable because of the dust particles in our solar system. A telescope would have to be as far away as the planet Jupiter to look for life in outer space because the dust becomes thinner the further we travel towards the outer edges of our own solar system. Once we detected a planet,we would have to find a way of blocking out the light from its star, so that we would be able to "see" the planet properly and analyze its atmosphere. In the first instance, we would be looking for plant life,rather than "little green men" . The life forms most likely to develop on a planet would be bacteria. It is bacteria that have generated the oxygen we breathe on earth. For most of the earth's history they have been the only form of life on our planet. As Earth-dwellers,we always cherish the hope that we will be visited by little green men and that we will be able to communicate with them. But this hope only exists in science fiction. If we were able to discover lowly forms of life like bacteria on another planet,it would completely change our view of ourselves. As Daniel Goldin of NASA observed,"Finding life elsewhere would change everything. No human efforts or thought would be unchanged by it." | high21689.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "About 500 million."
},
"options": [
"About I billion.",
"About 2 billion.",
"About 500 million.",
"About 5 million."
],
"question": "According to the passage, how many people probably can't drink safe drinking w... | Water and its importance to human life are the center of the world's attention. March 22 is World Water Day, which has the theme "Water and culture "this year. There are more than one billion people in the world who live without safe drinking water. The United Nations hopes to cut this number in half by 2015.
Solving such a big problem seems like an unreal challenge. But everyone, even teenagers, can do something to help. A teenage girl in the U.S. has set an example to others of her age around the world. Rene Haggerty, 13, was awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize for her work of collecting deserted batteries which pollute water.
In 2003, Haggerty went on a field trip to the Great Lakes Science Centre in Ohio. There, she saw an exhibit about how chemicals in old batteries harm the water of Lake Erie. Haggerty learnt that recycling the batteries was an easy solution. "I think everybody can do it, because everyone uses batteries, and it can make a big difference." With these words, she began to increase awareness in her area.
She talked to her county government and school board. She got permission to start a recycling programmed in schools as well as the public libraries, hospitals, and churches. With the help from her family, friends and local waste-management officials, she gathered containers, arranged transportation, and made an educational video.
Over the past two years, she collected four tons of batteries and drew the attention of officials, who were in charge of a battery recycling programmed but had made little progress. When asked if she feels like a hero, Haggerty is quite modest . "Not really. Well, maybe for the fish I saved!"
Every year the Gloria Barron Prize honors young Americans aged 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in serving the public and the planet. Each year ten winners receive $2,000 each, to help with their education costs or their public service work. | high16025.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "one can learn how to paint on pottery"
},
"options": [
"one can enjoy many kinds of artworks",
"one can learn how to paint on pottery",
"one can make pottery by himself/herself",
"one can improve his/her painting skills... | Below are four ads on the website.
l Artful Experience
It's an artful experience even if you're artistically challenged. Adults, teens, and children of all ages are welcome at Contemporary Art studio. We provide everything: stamps, idea books, a little coaching, and a lot of encouragement. Drop in anytime. It's creative fun for everyone to paint your own pottery ! No experience needed. Our studio will show you how. It's as easy as 1-2-3!
sumplastpl@hotmail.com
l Chinese-English Translator
This is an excellent opportunity for recent graduates looking to put their Chinese skills to use.
Requirements: native speaker of English; business translation experience is preferred but not a must; able to fulfill several projects on time; excellent reading skills in Chinese. If interested, please email staff@young.com or call 453-268-130.
l Ancient Object Market
Here you find a large variety of old European furniture, statues and paintings. We also offer a large selection of clocks in bronze, wood, white metal. Organizing buying tours based on the needs of our clients is something else we do. We pick you up from the airport, make hotel reservations and drive you around to the best wholesale dealers. Our email is artworkdeal@hotmail.com.
l _
We are delighted to offer you an efficient and reasonably priced service of high-class car rentals with qualified drivers. Suitable for your journeys to and/or from Rome's airports or other destinations. We will be there to meet you on your arrival at the airport and drive you to your destination in complete safety and comfort. If you need the service, please call 668-556-429. | high12243.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she had to work in the white man' s house"
},
"options": [
"she had to cook breakfast for her children",
"she had to catch the first bus to the factory",
"she had to work in the white man' s house",
"she had to go to se... | I wonder about my Mom sometimes, and all the other black mothers who got up at 6 a. m. to go to the white man's house with sacks over their shoes because it was so wet and cold. I wonder how they made it. They worked very hard for the man. They made his breakfast and they swept his floors and they took care of his babies. They didn' t have too much time for the three of us.
I wonder about my Mom, who walked out of a white woman's clean house at midnight and came back to her own where the lights had been out for three months, and the pipes were frozen and the wind came in through the holes in the wall. She'd have to deal with the rats : leave some food out for them so they wouldn't bite the doors or the babies. Oh, they were just like part of the family!
I wonder how she felt telling those white kids she took care of to brush their teeth after they ate, to wash their hands after they finished bathing. She could never tell her own kids because there wasn't soap or water back home.
I wonder how my Mom felt when we came home from school with a list of vitamins and pills the school nurse said we had to have. Mom would cry all night, and then go out and spend most of the rent money for pills. A week later, the white man would come for his eighteen dollars' rent and Mom would beg him to wait until tomorrow. She had to lie to him that she had lost her wallet or the relief check was coming soon or the white people had some money for her. Tomorrow I'd be hiding in the closet because there was only supposed to be two kids in the flat, and I could hear the rent man shout at my Mom and call her a cheat. And when he finally went away, Mom put the sacks on her shoes and went off to the rich white man's house to dress the rich white kids so that their mother could take them to a special baby doctor. | high8358.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was worried about her daughter's safety"
},
"options": [
"was worried about her daughter's safety",
"was proud of her daughter's performance",
"hoped her daughter could be independent",
"thought her daughter's job was i... | Chelsea Bourque was 17 years old. When she took a summer job, her mother, Kim Guidry, was confident her daughter would get good life experience. And Chelsea wanted to make her own money and be more independent. Kim didn't worry about her daughter because she'd known the store owner for years. Chelsea did such a good job that when summer ended she was asked to stay on and even open and close the shop sometimes. That was when Kim started feeling uneasy. "She'd be there alone with a drawer full of money for the first or last 20 minutes of her shift ," says Kim. "If she was opening, I'd drop her off to lock the door the minute she got into the building, and I'd wait in the car until the owner arrived. If she was closing, I'd arrive 20 minutes early. You can never be too careful."
Kim's concerns were natural. Even though the 6 million American teens who hold job benefit a lot -- learning to manage money, developing time-management skills, and becoming good at problem-solving with other people -- they face some dangers as well. About 230 000 teen workers are injured yearly, from burns and cuts in restaurant kitchens to falls from roofs on buildings. Deaths, fortunately, are rare, but they do happen -- between 60 and 70 each year, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
But for most teens and their parents, the pay-offs of working do more good than harm. So help your teens get most out of employment with these stay-safe tips. | high22380.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Austria developed around this city."
},
"options": [
"It used to be a business center.",
"People there had beautiful voices.",
"Austria developed around this city.",
"There were some forts in this city."
],
"que... | Since the time when the Romans first settled on the Danube River and built one of their most important central European forts , Vindobona, the city we now know as Vienna, has played a very important role in European history. Austria grew up around the city and developed into a strong empire . The capital became a famous place during the rule of the Habsburg dynasty.
Today, Vienna is one of the most popular tourist spots in Austria as well as a major center of modern business and culture. Many different cultures have _ their cultural identities to produce the amazing Viennese culture. It is said that the most beautiful German is spoken in this old city.
A city of music, cafes, waltzes, parks, cakes, and wine -- that's Vienna. Famous composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert made Vienna into a city of music. Vienna also has a lot to offer in art and architecture. Yet the bars and clubs make a trip to Vienna an unforgettable experience. Vienna's cooking diversity is also impressive. Dumpling soup, tender boiled beef and apple rolls are typical Austrian dishes.
The face of the city has changed time and again due to war, victory, defeat, the death of an empire and the birth of a republic, foreign occupation , and the passage of time. Fortunately, the Viennese character --a strict devotion to the good life -- has remained solid. | high14632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "because they close their wings to avoid \"harassment\" when pursued by persistent and unwanted males."
},
"options": [
"because they close their wings to avoid \"harassment\" when pursued by persistent and unwanted males.",
"becaus... | One kind of female butterfly mates only once in its life -- and then closes its wings to avoid _ " when pursued by persistent and unwanted males, a Japanese researcher said.
Observations of the Small Copper Butterfly, a colourful orange and black butterfly, showed that some females closed their wings when males flew by, but only when they were males of their own species, said Jun-Ya Ide, an associate professor at Kurume Institute of Technology in Fukuoka, western Japan.
"When we looked into why, the males were courting the females. They do this very stubbornly, so the females sometimes try to get away -- or prefer to stay unobserved," he added.
Ide and his colleagues brought a model of a male butterfly near the females to test their reactions and found that young females that had yet to mate kept their wings open, but those that had already mated closed them.
Not only can the persistent attentions of unwanted suitors harm the delicate females, fleeing from them -- with the male often in pursuit -- uses up strength and can even shorten their lives, he added.
"Closing their wings makes them less visible, helping them avoid communication with their own species. We figured they were trying to avoid harassment by males," Ide said. | high9046.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "one will not succeed without a college degree"
},
"options": [
"the cost of technical schooling is a problem",
"one will not succeed without a college degree",
"technical skills are most important for landing a job",
"t... | Is the 'Go to College' Message Overdone?
Even in a weak job market, the old college try isn't the answer for everyone. A briefing paper from the Brookings Institution warns that "we may have overdone the message" on college, senior fellow Isabel Sawhill said.
"We've been telling students and their families for years that college is the only way to succeed in the economy and of course there's a lot of truth to that," Ms. Sawhill said. "On average it does pay off... But if you load up on a whole lot of student debt and then you don't graduate, that is a very bad situation."
One comment that people often repeat among the years of slow job growth has been the value of education for landing a job and advancing in a career. April's national unemployment rate stood at 7.5%, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate for high-school graduates over 25 years old who hadn't attended college was 7.4%, compared with 3.9% for those with a bachelor's degree or more education. The difference is even bigger among those aged 16-24. The jobless rate for those with only a high school diploma in that age group is about 20%. At the same time, recent research by Canadian economists cautions that a college degree is no guarantee of promising employment.
Ms. Sawhill pointed out that among the aspects that affect the value of a college education is the field of one's major: Students in engineering or other sciences end up earning more than ones who major in the arts or education. The cost of tuition and the availability of financial aid are other considerations, with public institutions generally a better financial bargain than private ones.
She suggested two avenues for improving the situation: increasing vocational -technical training programs and _ Europe's focus on early education rather than post-secondary learning. "The European countries put a little more attention to getting people prepared in the primary grades," she said. "Then they have a higher bar for whoever goes to college--but once you get into college, you're more likely to be highly subsidized ."
She also is a supporter of technical training--to teach students how to be plumbers, welders and computer programmers--because "employers are desperate" for workers with these skills. | high6375.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He hardly afforded to buy a house"
},
"options": [
"He was fed up with the life of city.",
"He hardly afforded to buy a house",
"He preferred to live in a hill cave",
"He was an environmental activist"
],
"quest... | Fed up with huge mortgage payments, Simon Dale decided to take matters into his own hands.
Armed with only a chisel, a chainsaw and a hammer, the 32-year-old moved his family to a hillside in Wales and started digging.
The result is a wooden eco-home - constructed in four months and costing just PS3,000 - which would look perfectly at ease alongside the Hobbit houses in The Lord Of The Rings.
Mr Dale, who has no experience in carpentry or architecture, created his sustainable family home using scrap wood for floors, materials scavenged from skips and by diverting water from a nearby spring.
He said: "Being your own have-a-go architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass-produced box designed for maximum profit and the convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers' profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.
The family struck lucky searching for a site for their dream project. In return for looking after the area, the owner of the woods gave them their plot for free.
After digging into the hillside, Mr Dale - with the help of his father-in-law, a builder - first constructed the building's timber frame.
The roof, which came next, has a layer of straw bales for insulation and is covered with sheets of plastic to make it waterproof. Finally it is covered with a layer of earth, which ensures the house blends perfectly into its surroundings.
Once the outer shell was complete, the family made an interior wall from straw bales stacked on dry-stone walling and staked together with hazel sticks.
As well as being made from sustainable material the Hobbit house, as it is dubbed by locals, has lime plaster on its walls instead of cement, a compost toilet, a fridge cooled by air from beneath the foundations and solar panels for power. | high21879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Earthquake Today and Tomorrow"
},
"options": [
"A Scientist and an Earthquake",
"How to Fight against Earthquake",
"An Earthquake",
"Earthquake Today and Tomorrow"
],
"question": "Which of the following can be t... | When some plates of the earth move suddenly, an earthquake happens. Many earthquakes begin under the sea. Earthquakes may happen anywhere on the earth. They often happen near mountains.
During an earthquake, the shakings make rocks rise suddenly and even crack open. Houses fall, people are killed and hurt, and sometimes whole villages or cities are destroyed.
Can we do something to keep ourselves safe from earthquakes? Scientists have studied earthquakes and make maps that show "earthquake belts". In areas in these belts, it's possible for earthquakes to happen. In these areas we can build strong houses to fight against earthquakes.
In the future, scientists will be able to predict exactly when and where an earthquake will happen. They can also tell people what to do with it. | high17313.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To introduce Sean Miles'new designs."
},
"options": [
"To show the harmfulness of old handsets.",
"To introduce Sean Miles'new designs.",
"To warn people not to throw electronic waste.",
"To ask more people to join O2 R... | Gimmicky--and expensive--new gloves allow chatterboxes to take the term 'handsfree' to a new level--by talking into them as they make a call.
The gloves are known as 'Talk to the Hand' and costPS1.000 a pair.
They come with a speaker unit embedded into the thumb and a microphone built into the little finger that can be connected to any mobile handset using Bluetooth.Artist Sean Miles designed the gloves that double as a phone in part of his project that shows the possibilities of gadget recycling.He combines gloves with parts from mobile handsets recycled through O2,which commissioned the project.
Mobile phone users will be able to keep their hands warm while they chat without taking their phone out of their pocket or handbag.
Mr Miles designed two pairs of the new gloves--one in pink and the other in brown and yellow.They will appear in an exhibition this July and visitors will be able to win the gloves.If demand is high,they will then be produced on a larger scale.
O2 Recycle,which backs the project,estimates that there are already 70 million unused mobile handsets in the UK.The service pays those who recycle gadgets including phones,MP3 players and digital cameras.
Designer Scan Miles,hopes his work will get people thinking about recycling.The 41-year-old said:"I hope that my Talk to the Hand project will get people to think again about the waste created by not recycling gadgets.If a few more people recycle their gadgets rather than send them to landfill ,I think this project will have fulfilled its aim."
The Talk to the Hand mobile phone gloves are the second product in a series that O2 Recycle and Miles have created.Miles is now working on combining phones with handbags--so people don't spend time rummaging around in their bags to find a phone when it rings. | high18020.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to support the idea that clearer thinking comes from messy environment."
},
"options": [
"to support the idea that clearer thinking comes from messy environment.",
"to tell the fact that Einstein was known for his untidy desks.",
... | A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, say researchers from Germany.
The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.
Visual and mental clutter forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.
Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl have been notorious for their untidy desks.
"Messy desks may not be as detrimental as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can improve work efficiency or increase employees' creativity in problem solving," say the authors.
"Business and government managers often promote 'clean desk' policies to avoid disorganized offices and messy desks, for the purpose of boosting work efficiency and productivity," writes lead researcher Jia Liu of the University of Groningen in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
"This practice is based on the conventional wisdom that a disorganized and messy environment can clutter one's mind and complicate one's judgments."
"However, not all evidence supports this conventional link between a messy environment and a messy mind."
The scientists tested people's response in various 'messy' environments - including a messy shop front, a disorganized desk, and even a work environment where a language task 'reminded' people of messiness.
The authors found in the series of six studies people tended towards simplicity in their thinking.
"They categorized products in a simpler manner, were willing to pay more for a T-shirt that shows a simple-looking picture, and sought less variety in their choices." said the researchers. | high3225.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact."
},
"options": [
"The fact that simple facts differ from one another.",
"The fact that people have different experience in the same simple fact.",
"The f... | Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be simple fact? Do you argue whether it's cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit?
If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant. The first blind man who felt the elephant's trunk said it was like a snake. The second who felt the elephant's side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal's tusk. The fourth, who got hold of the elephant's tail insisted that it was like a rope. The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arms around one of the elephant's legs. The sixth, who was tall and got hold of the elephant's ears, said it was like a huge fan.
Each man's idea of the animal came from his own experience. So if someone disagrees with you about a "simple fact", it's often because his experience in the matter is different from yours.
To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a "simple fact", try this simple experiment. Get three large bowls. Put ice water in one. Put hot water in the second. Put lukewarm water in the third. Now put your left hand in the ice water. Put your right hand in the hot water. After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water. Your right hand will tell you the water is cold. Your left hand will tell you it's hot! | high11762.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A Pioneer in Modern Dance"
},
"options": [
"Dance in the Twentieth Century",
"Artists of the Last Century",
"Natural Movement in Dance",
"A Pioneer in Modern Dance"
],
"question": ". The best title for the passa... | Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. The beginnings of modem dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concerts. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity shown by complicated, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costumes . She discarded corset, ballet shoes, and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing clothes, bare feet, and unlimited hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance. | high7043.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Environmental refugees--an international problem"
},
"options": [
"50 Million environmental refugees by 2010",
"Environmental refugees--an international problem",
"The cause of environmental disasters",
"Global aid pour... | By 2012,the world may need to cope with as many as 50 million people who have fled their homeland,not for political or economic reasons but because the environment has been so badly changed that it cannot support life. The statement has been released by the United Nations to mark UN Disaster Reduction Day.
More people are made homeless by environmental disasters than by war,according to the research by the Red Cross. That reality is proved by the earthquake in Pakistan.
The widely publicized disaster has brought aid from the global community,according to Janos Bogardi,director of the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security. "If we can move swiftly in and give them a new start where they are,then they may stay in the area. Otherwise,they become environmental refugees. Environmentalrelated migrations are most acute in SubSaharan Africa,but they also affect millions of people in Asia and India. Meanwhile,the United States is witnessing increased pressure from victims of mismanaged and worsening soil and water conditions in Mexico and Latin America." he says. Janos Bogardi says these refugees suffer from the impact of gradual environmental change--global warming,sea level rise,air and water pollution and more intense storms,floods and droughts that degrade the land. This is a slow process,but unfortunately a process that is very difficult to go backwards once final damage is done.
Janos Bogardi says they are calling on the global community to recognize the serious situation of environmental refugees and to work together to lessen the impact of environmental disaster. | high15504.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "2"
},
"options": [
"2",
"3",
"4",
"5"
],
"question": "According to Chizuru Inoue, there are _ advantages for the employees to have short hair.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | A Japanese company has ordered its employees to get the same hairstyles--- to help save energy.
Tokyo-based Maeda Corporation has announced the move as part of a national campaingn to cut energy use.
Since Fukushima nuclear plant was destroyed in the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, 2011, the county's government has asked its people to _ their energy consumption.
Men are expected to sport a short back-and-sides, slightly longer on the top, while women have been asked to wear short hair with a fringer that can be swept to one side.
Chizuru Inoue, a spokesman for Maeda Crop, said: "Our company is very devoted to protecting the environment and we encourage our staff to adopt many environment-friendly actions."
"We are not sure of the data yet, but we believe if people have short hair they do not need to use their hairdryers for so long and they will use less water. If all our staff do this, then it may save a lot of power."
There is another advantage for employees of the construction firm, Ms. Inoue added, as it is easier to make short hair neat again after staff had been wearing hard hats. She said a lot of staff had been calling for information on where they can get their hair cut in the correct style.
Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March, Japan has been struggling to produce enough electricity for the tsunami ended production at the Fukushima plant. The disaster resulted in a review of the country's energy policy that now means less than a quarter of its remaining nuclear plants are in use. The government has talked about a move away from nuclear energy towards more sustainable technologies. Many government institutions have taken measures to save power, including a reduced use of air-conditioning in offices and schools. | high8370.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "23 yuan."
},
"options": [
"16 yuan.",
"30 yuan.",
"23 yuan.",
"20 yuan."
],
"question": "If you go to visit the Long March exhibition with an Australian, how much will you pay altogether for the admission?",
... | Long March exhibition
The Shanghai History Museum is putting on an exhibition to mark the 80th anniversary of the Long March.On show are more than 220 photos and 40 items that explain with pictures how the communist Red Army drew back from its besieged bases in Jiangxi Province and fought its way to northern Shanxi Province in the mid-1930s.Explanations are all in Chinese.The show will end on November 20.
Time: 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Address: 1286 Hongqiao Road
Admission: 8 yuan for Chinese /15 yuan for foreigners
Thai elephants
Eight elephants from Thailand are entertaining visitors at Changfeng Park by riding bikes, playing basketball, balancing on a pole, dancing and blowing a mouthorgan .People are encouraged to have a tug-of-war with the animals or lie on the ground and have the elephants walk over them.The elephants give three shows a day at 9:30 am, 3:30 pm and 8:00 pm and there is an additional show at l:30 pm at weekends.The show will end on November 15.
Address: 189 Daduhe Road
Admission: 30-40 yuan
Dancing dolphins
Dolphins jumping from the water to touch a ball, swaying their bodies to music, kissing people and doing math by tapping their tails have made the dolphinarium in Peace Park an attraction for children.Seals and sea lions also perform.
Hours: 10:30 am, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 pm
Admission: 20 yuan for adults and 10 yuan for children. (252 words) | high13175.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has learned to accept his size"
},
"options": [
"won the school election",
"is ashamed of his height",
"has learned to accept his size",
"is embarrassed by his class"
],
"question": "It is a story about a short ... | The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life.I had my arms full of books and I was rushing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos.
"My... you're tall," he said. The whole class burst out laughing .
"Take that seat," Mr. McCarthy told the cocky newcomer Carlos,pointing to the only empty one , in the back of the room.
Carlos laughed widely. "But I need a couple of dictionaries."
The bell rang for classes. As I stood up to go, I saw Carlos coming toward me. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you," he said . I looked straight ahead over the top of his black hair. "That's all right."
"I ought to know better." He was still blocking my way. "What's your name?" "Karen Forbes." He held out his hand. Unwillingly, I shook hands with him. He looked up at me seriously with his brown eyes. " I am Carlos . I don't see why you're so _ "
It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Carlos was voted vice-president."How come ?"I kept asking myself, "How come this shrimp who's only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?"
So on that morning,I stopped Carlos and said,"It doesn't seem to bother you -- being short." He looked up at me, "Of course I mind being short.But there isn't anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself." "You seem to get along great," I admitted, "But what about me? The trouble with you is you're afraid to be yourself. You're smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty." I felt myself turning red... | high1432.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They travel at a very high speed."
},
"options": [
"They travel at a very high speed.",
"They are difficult to track by satellites.",
"They can blow up into millions of pieces.",
"They are as soft as a ball in the air."... | Satellites play big roles in modern life. Some look downward to monitor environmental conditions on Earth.Others look outward in search of major solar flares that can trouble the transmission of electrical power to homes and businesses. Some spy on our enemies. Others relay communications around the globe. But all of these million-dollar wonders of technology can be knocked out by a collision with space junk ---debris ( )from satellites and other earthly technology orbiting high above the planet. Now,a teen from Jordan has designed a satellite to chase down space junk , collect it and then deal with it.
Even bits of space junk as small as dots of paint pose a threat , says Dana. That's because this debris orbits our planet at speeds up to some 28,200 kilometers per hour. Such high speed explains why tiny paint dots have damaged the windshields of space shuttles so badly that they needed to be replaced.
Researchers have come up with many ideas for getting rid of space junk. Some have suggested vaporizing small bits with lasers. Others have proposed launching satellites to collect the debris. Dana's design falls into this category.
Here's how hers would work : A radar system aboard the satellite would scan and find a piece of space junk.Then,thrusters would change the satellite's orbit so that it could chase down _ . As the satellite closed in on its prey, cameras would keep it on target.
At the last minute,a door that leads to a container would open. This container needs to be strong so that it doesn't break apart when the satellite swallows the space junk,Dana explains. Finally,when the trash container was full,it would be lowered toward the earth on a kilometer-long cable and its contents released into the upper atmosphere. There, the space junk would harmlessly burn up just like a meteor does. Meanwhile, her satellite would roll the container back up so that it could collect more trash. | high13613.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Football"
},
"options": [
"Basketball",
"Football",
"Golf",
"Tennis"
],
"question": "_ is the most popular sport in England.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Sport is very popular in England. In other words lots of English people like the idea of sport. A lot watch sport on TV. But the number who take part in sport is quite small. On the whole English people prefer to be fat rather than thin.
The most popular sport in England is football. Football is played on Saturday afternoon in most towns and the supporters of a certain team will travel from one end of the country to the other to see their team play. There are four divisions of the football league.Not surprisingly the best teams are in the first division. But the best supporters are often in the fourth division. You have to be a good supporter to watch the fourth division football!
Many other sports are also played in England, such as golf, in which you try to knock a ball into a hole; basketball, in which you try to got a ball through a net ; tennis, in which you try to hit a ball so that your opponent can not hit it. As you see, if the ball had not been invented, there would have been no sport.
Actually , that is not quite true. Athletics isn't played with a ball; nor horseracing . Perhaps that is why they are not so popular as football! | high58.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a newspaper"
},
"options": [
"a scientific report",
"a financial report",
"a newspaper",
"a travel journal"
],
"question": "The text is probably taken from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Owning a smart phone may not be as smart as you think. They may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and snap photos wherever you are... but they also turn you into a workaholic . A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times, the all-singing, all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day.
Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles. The study by technology retailer Pixmania, shows the average UK working day is between nine and ten hours, but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls. Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day, with nine out of ten saying they take work emails and calls outside their normal working hours. Nearly two-thirds say they often check work emails just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up, while over a third have replied to one in the middle of the night.
Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said, "The ability to access millions of apps, keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smart phones valuable for many people. However, there are _ . Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smart phones mean that people cannot get away from work. The more constantly in contact we become, the more is expected of us in a work capacity ." | high9708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Their brains were not so active as they were"
},
"options": [
"They slept for about five minutes longer.",
"Their brains never recovered from their work.",
"They complained they were too tired to sleep.",
"Their brains ... | Werewolves aren't the only creatures affected by the moon's cycles. A full moon slightly affects people's sleep, reports a Swiss team of scientists. Even people's sleep in a lab without windows experienced a small shortfall in sleep once a month.
To test the moon's effect, 33 adult volunteers of both sexes and various ages spent several nights in a sleep lab. As they slept, researchers recorded their brain activity, eye movements and hormone levels. On nights closer to a full moon, the subjects took an average of five minutes longer to fall asleep, and slept for 20 minutes less. In addition, brain activity decreased by 30 percent during the sleep stage that the brain normally uses to recover from its daylight work. And levels of hormone that help control sleep cycles dropped. On these nights, the sleepers complained of poor sleep quality even though they were unaware of the moon's cycle. On the bright side, not a single participant turned into a werewolf.
The Swiss team doesn't know how the moon affects sleep. The gravity of the moon causes ocean tides to rise and fall. But that force is too weak to affect sleep, Gajochen says. He believed some body's biological clock may be tied to the moon cycles. There may be another explanation, says David Dinges. This sleep researcher at the University Of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia says that the body clock is very sensitive to light at night. Volunteer's sleep could have been affected by exposure to extra moonlight before arriving at the lab. | high7725.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "telephone calls made by tourists"
},
"options": [
"transport between the airport and the hotel",
"telephone calls made by tourists",
"the services of guides to tourists",
"double rooms for every two tourists"
],
... | Eight Days from Just PS 299
Departs May October 2005
Includes:
*Return flights from 8 UK airports to Naples
*Return airport to hotel transport
*Seven nights' accommodation at the 3 Hotel Nice
*The services of guides
*Government taxes
Join us for a wonderful holiday in one of Europe's most wonderful comers. Long a favorite with holidaymakers--indeed the ancient Romans called the area "happy land"--this simply attractive coastline of colorful towns, splendid views and the warm Mediterranean Sea is a perfect choice for a truly memorable holiday!
Choose between the peaceful traditional village of Sant' Agata, set on a hillside six miles from Sorrento, or the more lively and well-known international resort town of Sorrento, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples.
Breathtaking scenery and famous sights everywhere. From the legendary Isle of Capri to the haunting ruins of Pompeii and from the unforgettable "Amalfi Drive" to the delightful resorts of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello, _ Should you choose to join us, we know that you will not be disappointed!
With a choice of hotels , and optional excursions including Capri, Pompeii and the "Amalfi Drive" , this is a truly unmissable holiday.
*Price based on two tourists sharing a twin /double room at the Hotel Nice.
Like to know more? Then telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd on: 0845-226-7766(A11 calls charged at local rates). | high8416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Headache may last several minutes."
},
"options": [
"Headache may last several minutes.",
"Headache maybe cover the whole body.",
"Headache has nothing to do with others.",
"Headache maybe anything except the tight feel... | Almost everyone suffers from a headache occasionally. But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches.
What is headache? What causes it? What can be done about a headache? What research is being done on headaches?
The dictionary defines headache simply as "a pain in the head." What most people mean by headache is a pain which lasts several minutes or hours. It covers the whole head, or one side of it, or perhaps the front or the back of the head. To add to the confusion about a definition, some people call tight feeling in the head a headache.
A headache is important because it can be the first warning of a serious condition which probably could be controlled if discovered early. If a person removes the warning, day after day, with a pain-killer, he may pass the point of easy control.
The professional name for covering up a symptom is "masking" (,). A headache specialist once said, "Masking symptoms is not the best way of treatment." He compared taking a pain-killer for a headache before a cause is known with taking iron pills for anemia while bleeding continues undiscovered. He added, "Sometimes it is wiser to stand still than to advance in darkness.
A headache is important also because it interferes needlessly with normal, happy living. The employee with a headache does less work. In a flash of temper he may upset his fellow workers or customers, causing a direct of indirect loss to his organization. The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family. She upsets her husband and children. | high23908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Let's Go to the Beach!"
},
"options": [
"Let's Go to the Beach!",
"How to Enjoy Your Holidays",
"Welcome to Britain!",
"How to Travel in Britain"
],
"question": "Which is the best title for this passage?",
"... | Most visitors come to the UK expecting the rain and weather for which the country is famous. However, when summer finally arrives, British people like nothing more than heading for the coast. Here are some of more famous places of interest that you could expect to visit on a trip to Britain. Black pool, in the northwest of England, is the most visited place in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches, the 158m Black pool Tower and the 11km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks and even a zoo. On the south coast of the country you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future king, George IV, decided to build a house there, and now it has become a large, international centre. Apart from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier . There are theatres, entertainments and restaurants there. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping. If you want to travel a little further, why not go to Corn-wall in the far southwest of the UK? South Cornwall offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate there is warmer than the rest of Britain, and you can even find palm trees. For a bit more excitement, go to North Cornwall. The scenery there is nicer, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwall has become the home of British surfing. One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK during holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways. It might be better to take the train. | high3543.txt |
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